Blossoms into Love
by TheLostSpirit
Summary: Inuyasha attacked her because of silly, silly love. So why is Sesshomaru involved? Pairing: SesshomaruxKagome.
1. Chapter 1 : Welcome Home

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything that concerns the legal matters of Inuyasha, nor do I own any characters from Inuyasha.**

She came back a day early. Even though she had studied hard for a test the night before, she realized that she would have no future in the, well, future. Through her pains and sorrows of studying for her history notes, she thought long and hard on the past herself. So she told her mother. Her mother didn't seem thrilled about the idea of her daughter leaving the present day era forever but she knew that Kagome's love would overcome any decision.

So she agreed to her daughter leaving. It was a painful goodbye full of tears and love, but they were ready for the day to come. And Kagome waved her last farewell to her family in the era she grew up in and knew so well to go through the bone-eater's well and be with the one she loved the most. Of course, she had not seen him since she had to leave the first time around, and was never expecting him to be there. This night was no different, and she climbed the well with her own strength.

The only reason she wanted to come back was for him. She loved him more than her own family, one that she would never see again. She thought about the positives of their relationship, even if his heart was owned by Kikyo. She knew that she would do whatever she could in order for his heart to stray the other way and love her for who she was, not who she comes from. Kagome stretched at the side of the well and smiled. It felt wonderful to be back in the time where she belonged, where people needed her too.

She saw the tree where they first met. Ever since Kagome met him at that tree, she thought that they were meant for each other, that there was some reason that they were brought together. Even before she knew about Kikyo, there was something in her heart that cried love. She sat down beside the tree and looked up at the night sky. The stars glittered and the moon shone down on the empty field where they first met. She always admired the view and always would remember.

Kagome rose from the tree and began walking back to Kaede's village. She was scared, for the most part, because of the demons lurking around at night and she was defenseless. She never wanted to bring her bow and arrow quiver home, mainly because of her friends possibly seeing her with her weapons. _Might as well keep my secret hidden._ But it was silent in the forest and she was able to listen to nature and perhaps the village only a mile ahead.

Then, something was caught in the corner of her eye. She turned her head to the right, where darkness only loomed and saw a spark of light. She didn't know whether to take note of the light or not, but noticed it going towards the same village. Kagome watched the light fly faster towards the village and soon disappeared in the darkness. She shook the thought away and continued on her adventure.

Soon enough, Kagome reached the village. She first saw Miroku and Sango on the outskirts of the village. They were shocked! "Kagome! You are home early!" Sango ran to her friend and smiled politely. Kagome nodded her head and looked at her friends. She admired her friends and their strengths, and always knew if there was something amiss just by looking at them. Miroku bowed in gratitude for Kagome and smiled to her as well.

"You are looking well, Lady Kagome," he said as he graciously took her hands. Sango slapped him on the side of the head and stared at her own lover. Miroku faltered in his stance and simply looked back at the woman that he loved so much. Kagome sighed at them; yes, everything was okay. Miroku started talking again, "Oh Sango, you know I could only love you!" Sango blushed a fierce red and turned away from him.

"And yet your perverted antics still come out whenever I seem to be around," she angrily mumbled under her breath. Miroku began to laugh and Sango grunted. Kagome smiled at her friends and the way they loved each other. She only wished for that to happen with her and Inuyasha. Even just thinking about it made her heart pound against her chest! _Although, there's something different with that._ She shrugged it away and began to talk to her friends again. Before that, however, she saw the string of light again.

_There it is again! _Kagome looked at her friends and excused herself. Sango and Miroku stopped and watched their friend speedily walk towards the hut where the light was heading for. Miroku looked at Sango and whispered, "Why didn't we tell her?" Sango looked to the ground and sadly sighed. Sango didn't have the heart, to tell you the truth; she couldn't hurt her friend just after coming back. Miroku placed his arm around her shoulder and let her lean into his body. He knew the tears would come soon enough.

Kagome saw the light enter a hut. _It is the hut that I usually come back to, where Inuyasha usually camps!_ She began to worry. What if something was wrong with Inuyasha? Did Kaede put a spell on him again? She started to run. She didn't know why she couldn't just walk, but her heart wanted to know if he was okay. She would die if something serious happened to him and she was unaware about it.

She was always the worrier if something happened to him in battle or if he was simply emotional about something. Lately, she had been noticing a tempered side of him and he was always a little touchy on certain matters. But she usually ignored it and continued with her day with Shippo. _Oh, Shippo! He must be worried sick about me! _Kagome reached the intersection of different huts and turned to her right, towards her own home. Shippo was outside the house, waiting for something.

He looked up and saw his friend, his own companion and who he always thought was his mother. He jumped up and ran towards her. "Kagome! You're back!" Inuyasha's ears twitched from inside the hut, but he did not move. Shippo leapt into her arms and she hugged the life out of him. "Oh, Shippo, I missed you!" Shippo leaned away from her chest and looked her straight in the eyes. Oh, she was so happy! He didn't want her to be heartbroken. Not like that.

"Come on, Kagome! Let's go down by the river and have a bath!" He smiled. She smiled and set him down on the ground. "Sorry, Shippo, I have to see something first, then I'll be right out to go take the bath. Okay?" He sadly nodded and sat back down on the ground, waiting for her again. Kagome walked past the little demon and he began to listen to the horror he was about to hear. _Kagome, don't cry!_ Kagome began to pick up speed and soon enough, she ran into the home.

"Inuyasha! I'm ba-" Suddenly, her feet stopped. Kagome looked down at the ground and saw him looking down at Kikyo, who was sleeping against his chest. Kagome stood there, bangs over her eyes and pain written across her face, along with her heart simply breaking over the scene. Kagome felt the light leave the hut; it was simply a soul stealer. She chased a light that meant nothing and she shouldn't have chased in the first place. Inuyasha made no attempt of talking, and Kagome could only respond with: "I'm back."

**So, as you are aware, this is the new and improved Blossoms into Love. I deleted the old version, mainly because I hated how it started out, and I didn't want to deal with trying to write a chapter for something I hated. So, this is the new start for the story.**

**Yes, this is a Sesshomaru and Kagome fanfiction. If you do not want to read this, don't read it.**

**The first few chapters will be about Kagome and Inuyasha, though. Sesshomaru won't be coming around until the fifth chapter (maybe?) so these first few chapters will be pretty slow. That, and it'll be about Kagome's heartbreak (UGH) and all these different conversations and stuff with Kikyo, Inuyasha, and the rest. But, I don't want to spoil anything. **

**If you read the old Blossoms into Love, uh, you will know what's going to happen. If not, boy, are you guys in for a treat. Dun dun dunnn.**

**Anyway! I hope you enjoy! Because I certainly enjoy re-writing stories (NOT IN A MILLION YEARS) and I would love to hear how I'm doing in terms of writing.**

**Oh, by the way, my goal for this story? I hope for 25-30 chapters. But, it might be slow, so it might be 35-40 chapters. Ugh. Another goal is to have chapters 3000-4000 words long (EACH) because I really cannot stand chapters that are less than 2000 words (This chapter doesn't count because, well, this is like a prologue to everything). Huh. Must be a pet peeve of mine..But, that's it from me!**

**Until next time!**

**TLS**


	2. Chapter 2 : Broken Promises

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha. If I did, boy, Sesshomaru would be in it a lot more.**

**Side notes:**

_**Thoughts are written like this.**_

**"Talking is written like this."**

_Flashback…_

_Sitting next to the well, Kagome and Inuyasha looked down at the ground while talking to each other. It was time for her to go back to her time again, to refresh and come back prepared to fight. Their talk was serious, nothing like they usually talked about. Inuyasha had asked her, in all seriousness: "You won't leave me, right? After we get the jewel shards, I mean," and Kagome shook her head._

"_I promise to be with you, Inuyasha, forever," Kagome smiled as the man she loved smiled back, "I'd never leave you, no matter what," and Inuyasha nodded. Never had a woman spoken to him since he fell in love with Kikyo. Inuyasha looked at his female companion and took her word. He grabbed her hand with trust in his heart and she looked up at his face. "And you won't do anything to upset me, right?" She asked in a sincere voice. _

_What could he say to her, that he couldn't? Kikyo was still alive! There was no way to promise her something like this, not like his promise. But he couldn't say no. "Aw, you know me Kagome. I'm no Miroku now," and she slightly giggled. He had to continue, though. Why? Instincts. "I'll be here when you get back, just like this."_

_She smiled. She had to trust him. With one last tug with her hand, she said her farewell and jumped into the well. Inuyasha watched her disappear into the darkness and looked back at the forest. She came from around a tree and smiled. Inuyasha knew she was there the whole time, and felt so guilty, but he soon forgot about Kagome and left with the one he truly loved._

Kikyo's eyes slightly opened at the new voice in the hut and came to find Kagome standing in the doorway, hands clenched in anger. Her face was covered by the hair falling from her forehead. Kikyo thought nothing and closed her eyes once more. Inuyasha looked down at her and slyly moved underneath her, to try not to disturb her sleep (although she was never asleep in the first place) and stood from his place.

It was a tense, cutthroat silence, something Kagome never felt with Inuyasha, not in a long time. _Probably the first time was when we met, _she thought. She just stood there, not trying to look up at Inuyasha, and tried to piece everything together.

Inuyasha, too, was trying to find out why she had come home early rather than later. He was told a few days ago that she would be back in two more days, so it meant more time with the one he loved. It wasn't like he wanted to hurt Kagome, no, that wasn't the plan. Kagome knew about the affair but always accepted the fate she was to have. So why the sudden change of emotion? Inuyasha couldn't figure it out.

Inuyasha began to walk towards her but Kagome moved back. The distance between the two was just enough for Kagome to feel somewhat relieved to not feel in danger. "Kagome, I-" but Inuyasha couldn't find the words to explain his situation. He would start with that numerous times, and yet somehow, there was nothing to say. Kagome felt her tears fall from her chin and knew that he was not going to be honest with what he was going to say, if and when he did. She looked at him through his bangs—he could not tell—and saw the guilty look on his face. _No reason why it shouldn't be on there, either, _she thought.

She let herself fall to the ground. _I know he's not worth any tears now, but it doesn't mean my heart isn't broken, _she thought. Inuyasha bent down on his knees and inched his face underneath hers. Oh, how he wished to take those tears away and never see them on her face! She instinctively pulled back. There was no point in letting him see his damage; he could already feel it in his own heart.

Then a voice cut through the tension. "Were you not prepared for this?"

* * * *

Sango and Miroku came into the village again to find Shippo sitting in front of the hut where Inuyasha and Kikyo were. It was only natural to assume Kagome was there in the same hut now. Kirara purred towards Shippo and he looked back to his other friends. They had the same look on their face: worry and shame. Worry, because their friend had found out a secret that had been going on for a long time. Shame, because they didn't warn her.

Sango knelt down on the ground behind Shippo and rubbed his head. He couldn't help it, he had to cry for her. It was a part of his instinct and a part of his heart; Kagome would always be in his heart no matter what, dead or alive. And now his heart was breaking, only because her heart was breaking in the same matter: it was a hopeless love from the beginning, but she fell for him anyway.

"I feel as though we are at fault," Sango whispered as Miroku knelt beside her and Shippo. Indeed, they had a chance to tell her the truth so many times, but they kept to themselves because they did not want to get between the relationship.

Miroku could only nod. She was right, after all. It was not her fault for having her heart broken, nor was it Inuyasha's fault for not telling her (although, he could take the blame for the most part) but it was her friends that did nothing to act on the problem. It was a shot in the dark, a shot at betrayal. "We should," he whispered back. Shippo continued to cry. He could smell her tears, and his own mixed with the sadness in the air.

They couldn't see inside, but it was the mixture of sounds floating ominously in the air. They could hear her sobs, the pleads of Inuyasha, the voice of Kikyo, and the tension between all three. "I don't like this," muttered Shippo. Sango rubbed his head again and he continued to cry. Even Sango had tears threatening to come out of her eyes, and she was tough when it came to these situations.

"We all don't like this," Sango slowly replied, "but we knew it was going to happen, right?"  
"Right. The Fates had planned this from the very beginning, it seems. I'm sure some good will come out of this," _I hope_, he added to his thoughts. Sango sighed and looked down at the little demon ahead of both of them. Shippo shook his head and started to cry even more. It was Kagome's pain coming to him to resonate.

"It's not fair! She did nothing wrong! Why does she have to feel this way when Inuyasha is always the stubborn one!" Shippo stood up and began walking towards the hut in anger. "He doesn't deserve her!" He screamed. Sango and Miroku sat there in shock as their little demon—who was always so full of energy and happiness—was now torn by the fact that Kagome had been hurt.

He was courageous, to say the least. No one else had the strength to yell what they had in their minds, what was right there on their tongues, waiting to be called out. But they couldn't do it. Who knew what Inuyasha would do to all of them if they took Kagome's side rather than his own. Now, they had to wait for what was going to come through the door any minute, to see a reaction of any kind from any of them.

"You can't have her anymore, Inuyasha! She has been hurt enough from the likes of you!" Shippo fell to the ground and cried again. How his heart ached in pain from what she was feeling! If only he was there with her, so she had some kind of support.

She was the one that needed it the most.

* * * *

Inuyasha looked back at the woman on the ground and saw her sitting in the direction of Kagome. Kikyo was deeply staring at the girl who was crying and felt no remorse for her. "Tell me, how does one accept the fact that a person loves another and not prepare themselves for the worst?" Kagome blinked.

She was right, after all. She knew Inuyasha loved Kikyo with his heart and soul, but somehow, her heart told her to try anyway and make him love her, no matter what. She didn't want to feel heartbroken like she was now, and she could see why. She was a mess, an absolute fool from the very beginning. Even when Kikyo was dead, Inuyasha still held onto the love of his life in his heart; Kagome could never change that. Inuyasha turned back to Kagome and reached out to touch her hand. She pulled it back before he could even graze it.

Kikyo continued, much to her desire to continue. "You wished to have Inuyasha love you, did you not? If that was your true intention, and yet you knew he would never come to your terms, why would you continue on a fruitless quest? There was no reason for him to love you," Kagome looked up at both of them, and saw Kikyo with an expressionless face and Inuyasha with a pained one. She probably mirrored Inuyasha, only worse.

She simply whispered, "Because it's a nightmare to see him with you." Kikyo grunted and then started to laugh. Inuyasha's ears drooped and started to scoot closer to her. He was pleading—perhaps begging—her to please let him console her, but she kept inching further and further away from him. She couldn't deal with more pain at the moment.

"A nightmare?" Kikyo asked. Inuyasha looked back at Kikyo.

"That's enough, Kikyo!" He turned back to Kagome and saw her crying even more. Her eyes were a bright red, her cheeks flushed from crying too much, and her tears still falling from her face. Her raven-colored hair was wet from her tears and stuck to her face. Inuyasha felt more pain in his heart. "Kagome, you can talk," he whispered. Kikyo relaxed and stared at Kagome.

What could she say? There was so much running through her mind and her heart was beating a mile a minute and in so much pain that she could find no words. But, she managed to conjure up something. "There is always a reason to love someone," and Kikyo bit down on her bottom lip.

"And yet, there is also a reason to hate someone at the same time," Kikyo angrily whispered back. Inuyasha growled. Two women in his life, and he had to face something like this. Kikyo, however, continued. "You are weak. In the demon world—no, half-demon world—they look for power and willpower. You have neither. You are poorly trained and compared to other priestesses, you are nothing more than an apprentice."

Inuyasha turned back to Kikyo once more and growled even louder. Kagome let out a painful sob when those words registered. How hurt was she when she was told that she was nothing better than garbage. Kagome looked up at the vicious woman and saw no remorse for what she said. She was serious and Kagome believed her. Then, Kagome began to yell. "Is that all you are here for, to cause pain? Are you here for hardships for everyone!" Inuyasha turned his head towards Kagome.

It came from the heart, but he caught more words from outside. He merely caught the end, but it was enough to catch his attention. Kagome looked at Inuyasha and shook her head. "I came to live here with you, forever…" She didn't even bother looking in his eyes to see a slight change. "Just go, Inuyasha. I can't be around you right now anyway," and she continued to cry. She didn't bother listening to anyone, at least for a while. She never heard the comfort of her friends.

Inuyasha, however, heard everything and stood from the ground. Kikyo looked up at her lover and saw his eyes rimmed with red and staring outside. He growled and angrily whispered: "Damn it all!" and rushed outside. Soon, you could hear Inuyasha yelling.

"Oi! Quit with your yelling out here!" Shippo growled and stood proud against Inuyasha. It was like he was not afraid of him, even if his demon side was showing just a little bit.

"I will not! Inuyasha, you are a stubborn brat!" Sango and Miroku ran to the battle between the two demons and Inuyasha pushed Miroku out of the way. Sango brought her weapon between the two and stared down Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, stop! You knew this was going to happen anyway!" Inuyasha growled and pushed Sango back to stare back down at the little demon. Sure, Shippo was terrified of Inuyasha, but not this time. Kagome's heart hurt so much that this pain gave him a new attitude against Inuyasha. "Inuyasha!" Sango cried out again, but it was no use.

Shippo screamed once more: "You don't deserve her!" and Inuyasha grabbed the little demon before throwing him far down the path. He collided—hard—with the dirt ground and felt the rocks scrape against his face. It wasn't too much pain, but enough to make him feel something. There was blood coming from a small cut and Shippo continued to yell. "You can't even deny it, Inuyasha!" He wiped the blood away and Sango ran to him while Miroku stood in front of Inuyasha. Inuyasha looked at Miroku.

"Inuyasha, you must stop! We mean no harm!" And Miroku was right: they did mean no harm. They were only trying to help Kagome however they could. Inuyasha's growling in his stomach started to subside and he just stood with Miroku. Of course, the red in the eyes had not yet gone away, but there was pain written on his face. "I know, Miroku, and…" Then, his ears drooped, "I'm just guilty."

Kagome, in the meantime, wanted nothing to do with what was going on outside. She could hear the fights and vicious attacks to one another, but she had made sure to not look out. She was left alone with Kikyo, the one that had caused this pain in the first place. Surely, the Gods were against her today. Kikyo did not hesitate to take advantage of the situation at hand: yes, the Gods were against her.

"'You won't leave me, right?'" Kagome blinked. She slowly lifted her head to see Kikyo smiling and carrying on about that night. "'I'd never leave you, no matter what.' What now, Kagome?" Kikyo continued to smile. Kagome's mind went blank. Her heart was now angry at the fact that Kikyo was there when they promised each other something. Not to mention Inuyasha lied to her and stuffed it down her throat at the same time.

Kagome moved just enough to be a few inches away from Kikyo now. She didn't know what she was doing, but she knew what she had done: she slapped Kikyo. Normally, she would be terrified of doing something like this. But she heard Shippo injured outside and felt his pain out there. It was war. Kikyo just sat there, staring into the air as Kagome started to yell again.

"You have no right to mutter those words to me!" Kagome rose from the ground and stood over Kikyo. She looked up at her. Kagome felt her breathing start to get heavy from her anger, but she found that she had no emotions left for Kikyo. "You know," Kagome began, "I first thought you were someone to look up to so I could get stronger. You are no better than I am."  
"Oh? And how so?" Kikyo's voice was laced with anger.

"Because I, at least, have some kind of a heart with no power. You just have all power and no heart to love," and Kikyo bit down on her lip once more. Of course she had no heart; she was made merely of clay and bones. But, to say she could not love? It was absurd to believe a living soul could have no feelings.

Soon after, Inuyasha rushed back inside the hut after the slap was heard and Kagome turned around. There was a red mark on Kikyo's face, where Kagome had struck her, and he put two and two together. How was he so blind to not be able to protect the one he loved? He ran to Kikyo and she walked to the doorway. _I'll start a new life. Yes, that'll be nice, _she thought. She still had tears flowing, but it was full of anger. He started to growl and looked back at her.

"You can't touch her!" Kagome turned around and suddenly felt frightened by Inuyasha. More red was bleeding into his eyes and his teeth were bearing down towards her throat. Kagome soon rushed outside to find Sango, Miroku, and an injured Shippo just outside. They saw her face, full of fear and pain, and soon found the source come outside. Kikyo stood in the darkness and watched it all unfold. The rest of the group stood in front of Kagome in protection as she began to step back towards the forest. He repeated his words and snapped.

"You can't touch her!"

**Uh oh. Inuyasha's getting intense.**

**Wow! I actually updated this story! I'm so proud of myself. I actually felt bad for leaving the story to die again, so I crapped this out. Is it what you wanted? Probably not, since Shippo is OOC and I can't help that. It's my story, so shut up XP**

**Again, the next chapter will be all about Kagome, Inuyasha, and Kikyo. No Sesshomaru yet, although I might just introduce him as travelling or something. He'll come in around the fourth chapter, so sorry if you think this is TOO slow. I really don't feel like rushing love, you know? After that, who knows. Something will happen, I just know it.**

**OH! Just to say something here: Naraku's dead. Yeah. He's dead. I'm just telling you now so you aren't confused when I say "looking for the jewel shards" from now on. I'll explain that in the next chapter, in case you ARE confused. So..yeah, you know, I'm just going to stop.**

**I'll try to update soon! Maybe Wednesday? Who knows! It depends on my mood, I suppose. Well, enough of that, I guess. **

**Please review! I'll reply as soon as I update next time! I don't mind a bit of criticism, I swear! 8) And I don't bite.**

**Until next time!**

**TLS**


	3. Chapter 3 : Intriguing Events

**DISCLAIMER! I don't own Inuyasha or any of their legal mumbo-jumbo.**

**SIDE NOTES!**

**_Thinking is written like this. (flashbacks, too)_**

**_"_Talking is written like this." **

**

* * *

**

_Previously, on "Blossoms into Love"..._

_"You can't touch her!"_

_

* * *

_

Sango and Miroku brought forth their weapons against Inuyasha as he began to change before their eyes. His eyes were red, his claws were vicious and his knuckles were cracking, wanting Kagome's blood on his hands. Markings began to show on his face and his fangs grew as the seconds went by. Kirara growled and transformed as Inuyasha growled more and more. She stood in front of the three humans and protected them against Inuyasha, if and when he would do something.

Kikyo stepped out of the hut. She had no thought on the matter, nor did she care what Inuyasha did to the group. They were a nuisance to her anyway, so it wouldn't be of any importance to save them. Besides, their souls would be collected if they were to die, so it was as if she wished for them to die. She leaned against the hut and closed her eyes; she had grown tired of silly antics and useless chatter.

Kagome stood in shock as Inuyasha continued to growl and snap in her direction. She knew his red eyes targeted her own soul and knew it was a matter of time before he would attack. Sango was the first to speak. "Inuyasha! Don't make us attack you for this!" Miroku gripped his golden staff more and felt his own anger grow. It was only minutes before that Inuyasha felt guilty!

Inuyasha refused. "Just let me have it, then," referring to Kagome. She backed away from the three protecting her and saw Sango ready for attack. Kagome then heard Inuyasha's voice again. "She touched her. She touched Kikyo, and I cannot forgive her," another growl ensued before he continued, "and now, she will have to pay."

Sango turned to Kagome, as well as Miroku, and yelled: "Run away! We'll take care of him!" Kikyo opened her eyes and went back into the hut. Kagome shook her head. She couldn't leave her friends behind, nor did she ever want to leave their side! Kirara snapped at Inuyasha and bought the three of them more time to talk. "You must, Kagome! We'll be fine!" Sango turned back around and stared at Inuyasha. Miroku then spoke.

"Lady Kagome, get as far away as you must! Who knows how long we can handle him," and turned back to Inuyasha as well. Kikyo stepped out of the hut and equipped her bow with an arrow. Kagome looked over at her and Kikyo warned her: "If you run, I will not hesitate to fire." She had to think for only a second before her mind made a decision itself: she had to run. When Kagome turned around, she heard the bow release the arrow and quickly ducked before the arrow could hit her.

Then, she ran. Inuyasha watched as she fled the scene and began to charge after her. It wasn't long after that Sango held up her boomerang and pushed him back towards the hut. Kirara jumped at Inuyasha and fell on top of him, pinning him down to the ground. Sango then yelled: "Don't do this, Inuyasha! You have to settle down!" But he pushed Kirara off before she could finish her sentence and stared directly into her eyes. Kagome would have to wait.

"I must have her, though."

* * * *

She ran. She didn't know where she was going to go, but she ran. She thought about going back to her time and staying there, but her heart told her otherwise. There was something here, something holding her back, whether it was her friends or the jewel shards, and she didn't want to abandon the journey. She dodged tree after tree, branch after branch, root after root, and continued on into the everlasting forest. The moon was her only light, and she didn't care.

Around her neck the jewel shards glowed. Ever since Naraku had gotten his fate sealed by the group, it was her job to protect the jewel. It was nearly completed and only a few more grazed the Earth somewhere across the land. And yet, with the light from the jewel radiating from her chest, she did not stop. The tears in her eyes and the pain in her heart was enough to make her run until she could no longer do that, too.

Almost out of breath, she could not stop still. Something in her mind was telling her to continue to run, that something out there was going to save her. But who would want to? Surely, the Gods had no reason to keep her alive anymore, therefore why not kill her by some demon? _Or Inuyasha, if they truly hated me that much,_ she thought. Her legs were giving out as she tripped over rocks, roots, branches, and even mounds of the Earth poking beneath the grass. Soon enough, she tripped and lost her balance.

There, she caught her breath and continued to cry. It was hard enough to breathe running, but to stop to try and get your breath back while crying? It was even harder. Her heart was shattering into a million pieces, it seemed, and she had nothing left to care about; Inuyasha was her life, after all, and now, seeing him like _that_, _it kills me to even think about it._ She didn't mind the scrapes on her legs or the rocks embedding into her hand; they were nothing compared to what he had done mere moments ago.

Why she had fallen for his tricks she did not know. She knew this day would come sooner or later, and yet she still cries over what she was going to lose anyway. Kikyo was right; maybe she was stubborn to the point of going on a failing adventure. It might've been the blind love she thought she saw in his eyes, or perhaps the tone of voice he had with her sometimes when they were together. Somehow, her heart had no answer and continued to beat with pain.

_Why did I come back in the first place?_ She thought. True, if she didn't make up her mind and just stay in the past forever, this would've never happened and she would be still in the present day, taking a test for school. Instead, she had to face the truth up close and personal. And she knew her friends were feeling guilty at this time, but she did not think of blaming them. _They were in high spirits and wanted me to only be happy,_ she thought as she crawled over to a tree to lean against. Her legs ached and her chest rose and fell heavily, but she did not close her eyes.

Yes, she was tired, and her eyes wanted to close and sleep for a while. Since Inuyasha was that way, however, she could not bring herself to even think of sleeping just for a moment. She did, though, lean her head against the stump of the tree and let her eyes close in order to think about what had just happened. Of course, she was worried about her friends and wondered how they were doing against Inuyasha. She soon got her answer when she heard a scream. She turned in the direction where she came from and saw a red blur—far away—running towards her.

"_You have no willpower"_ echoed through her mind and continued to watch the red blur run faster and faster towards her. Her legs twitched. _No willpower? Then what do you call this?_ Kagome turned away from the red blur and slowly got up from the ground before continuing on with her quest to escape. After all, she didn't want to die.

Not from the one she loved.

* * * *

It was a strenuous battle. Something none of them wanted to go through, but it had to be done. After all, Kagome was near and dear to everyone's heart, even somewhere in Inuyasha's heart. It was not a long battle, but they fought with everything they had in order to give Kagome some time to run. They were bloodied, but not to the point of dying. Inuyasha's human mind was still there, still able to know that they were his friends (at least, he still believed that) and to not injure them to the point of death.

Kikyo was the only one to not fight against the three of them. (Shippo was already injured, and could not fight) She wanted no part in a pointless battle and walked towards the forest instead. She did not enter it, for it had too many demons wandering and lurking through the trees. She did, however, call upon her soul catchers to find Kagome but not to be seen. They did as they were told. Sango did try to attack her, to stop her from going forward, but the boomerang was deflected off of a barrier.

In the end, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara were forced to the ground in pain as they watched Inuyasha struggle between his demon and human life. "Inuyasha, let Kagome go," Sango whispered. Inuyasha's ears twitched and he soon growled again. One mention of her name and it was like the demon side took over. He had to get her; he wanted to know why.

Kikyo turned to Inuyasha, who was growling continuously and didn't want to stop—so it seemed—and she walked back to him. No matter what, she wanted to be at his side, through thick and thin, through life and death. Sure, there was a line between the living and the undead, but it wouldn't stop her. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and it seemed to have a calming effect on him; the growling subsided. "We must find her then," and she hopped on his back.

Before long, he ran to the forest. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo knew they would find her, but what could they do? They were too weak to move on and fight anymore; it was up to Kagome now to save herself. Inuyasha followed the scent of tears and of Kagome's perfume while Kikyo was on the lookout for her soul stealer. In the night sky, there was one sitting over a certain tree looking down at the ground. That would be where Kagome resided, probably resting before running again.

"Inuyasha," she pointed up to the sky. He followed her finger and ran in that direction. Dodging trees left and right, he was running for vengeance, something he had not done in a long time. _The first must've been when Kagome had the Shikon Jewel, when we first met, _he thought as his demon side ran faster and faster towards their destination. Under the moonlight, faraway from the two of them, there was Kagome, resting underneath a rotting tree. He saw her look right at them and cautiously stand up to start running again.

Of course she couldn't outrun him. She was determined to at least run until he caught her; that was her willpower. Kikyo jumped off of Inuyasha to the rotting tree and stood there as Inuyasha finally caught up to her. When he did, he grabbed her arm and pushed her down to the ground. They rolled around on the forest's floor and finally stopped when Inuyasha pinned her to the ground. Her eyes were still red from crying, her face tired from running away. She didn't get far before he caught her, but she was pretty proud.

He was still in his demon form. His blood-red eyes poured into her glazed brown eyes; his fangs bore down on each other, grinding against one another to make a chilling sound that grinded her own spine; blood from her friends bled onto her own clothing, putting two and two together as to her own fate: she was probably going to die. _Great, _she thought, _just when I thought things were looking up, too_.

Inuyasha calmly—although, in Kagome's mind, it wasn't very calm at all—whispered, "Why did you hit her?" She looked at him and tried to get out of his grasp. She couldn't even budge. Kagome felt her blood boil and yelled:

"I hit her because I didn't know she was there when we promised each other something that night!" Inuyasha was taken aback. That was why? If he would've known, he wouldn't have gotten angry. If he knew sooner, he wouldn't have hurt their friends. If he only knew what Kikyo said to Kagome, he wouldn't have blamed her for hurting his lover. It would be different, wouldn't it? Inuyasha growled again and pulled her on her feet. _What now?!_ She thought as she was pulled in front of Inuyasha, facing Kikyo.

She had an arrow pointed right at her body, including Inuyasha's. She struggled to get out of Inuyasha's grasp, but because his nails were inside of her arms, there was no point to try; she was just making more wounds than she needed. She could feel her skin being pulled back on her arms by his nails and blood pouring down her arms.

Inuyasha was growling as Kagome was forced to stare at Kikyo. She had some determination in her eyes, a glimmer of darkness forming in the desolate, dead eyes she had. Inuyasha's grip became even tighter and Kagome flinched in pain. "Inuyasha," Kikyo whispered. Inuyasha's ears perked up. "do you want revenge or vengeance for what she had done to me?"

He was torn. On one hand, he wanted Kagome to suffer for touching his _mate_, but on the other hand, he loved Kagome. Maybe not as lovers, so to say, but like a sibling bond. They were connected somehow, some way, and perhaps not as a romantic couple, but he still cared about her just like he cared about Kikyo. So what could he say?

He could say yes, but what good would that do if Kagome was gone? And he could say no, but how would that make him look for just chasing her down for no apparent reason? What if he said maybe? No, that would never do; he would look soft in the process, wouldn't he? _I don't know what I should do, Kagome. What should I do?_

Kagome knew he was struggling. She knew he didn't hate her. Deep down, somewhere in his human heart and spirit, there was a love for her, perhaps only has siblings; it was still there, though. Tears unwillingly ran down her cheeks and she knew that Inuyasha had to feel something like what she was going through, but she couldn't tell; she was only staring at Kikyo and her emotionless self.

She was getting impatient, though. You could see her eyes bounce back and forth between Inuyasha and herself, trying to give Inuyasha the hint to say "yes" all along, but he was not even paying attention to her; his eyes were searching for the answer. Kagome watched her hand grip tighter on the string of the bow, wanting to release the arrow that sealed her fate. _Maybe the Gods don't hate me too much. After all, I'll die from Kikyo, _she thought to herself.

Kikyo answered for Inuyasha: "Yes, we will seek revenge from the one that has tried to tear us apart from the beginning," and Kagome stopped for a moment. Then her mind started to scramble. If she were to let the arrow fly, it would hit Kagome and go through her to Inuyasha, killing him in the process! "This," she said as she pulled the arrow further back, "is for your own good." The arrow left the bow. Kagome had only one thing to say:

"SIT!"

* * * *

A pair of demon ears twitched at the scream deep inside the forest to their west. Then he could smell the scents coming from the trees and shortly growled. _Inuyasha, becoming a full demon? _He took in more of the scents. _Bones, from the graveyard, and blood from a human; such impudence. _He turned his head towards the area and rose from the ground. It would take no time before he would start to walk towards them, too. The two others with him—who were resting beside a bonfire—looked at him in question. The little demon by his side squawked.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru! Where are you heading at this time of night!" He paid no attention to the voice yelling at him until a little girl seemed to wonder the same thing.

"Yes, is there something wrong?" Wrong? No, there was nothing wrong in his mind. Just his brother had to be on his lands ruining lives at the time when everything seemed to be going okay. But he couldn't tell his little ward that; she would be worried about the girl with his brother. He stopped mid-stride and turned to the two people in his life.

He would ignore the questions, though. "Jaken," Jaken looked to his Lord, "you will take care of Rin while I am away," and began to walk more into the forest.

He was intrigued at his brother turning into a beast again without the Tetsuseiga being torn away from him. Sesshomaru could still smell the sword by his side, so what had happened? Then the human girl came into his mind, the same _woman_ that had taken said sword away from him. _She_ had done something in the past to let Sesshomaru show his demonic side, so it was now his brother's turn. Now, she was in danger with no help in sight.

She deserved no help, anyway. He was betrayed by his own blood, although he never liked his brother in the first place, with the help of a _human_. Then again, no one deserved to die by a pathetic _half-demon. _So, would he go because of a mere _human_ being attacked by his _idiotic_ brother? Was his heart that soft because of Rin being at his side, for his protective beast came for the girl?

_Ridiculous, for mere thoughts of a human are grounds of stupidity,_ he thought as he left his group behind and disappeared in the darkness as well.

**Well, I actually updated today. Who knew!**

**Hello to you all again! I'm sorry that it took so long to update and such. (Just kidding, this is rare for me to update so quickly, but I'm on a roll for writing stuff, so go along with it) I hope you all actually liked this chapter, since Sesshomaru finally came around! 8D Not like he actually got to Kagome or Inuyasha (OH MY GOSH WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM!?!) but at least he appeared, right?**

**I told you guys these first chapters were going to go slow! I'm not like the others that seem to just rush into their love. "Hello, I love you." "Why, we just met, and suddenly I, too, love you!" THE END.**

**What will happen next chapter? Well, expect Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, Kikyo, and Kagome. ..That's pretty much all I'm giving you, because I hate giving previews and junk. Bleh.**

**OH! I have a question for you guys, for those that even care to read this stuff down here. I'm thinking about just making a new Sess/Kag story instead of making my sequel to another one of my stories (which is POORLY written!) and it would involve Sesshomaru being a stalker. Has that been done too much? Because, as far as I know, I haven't seen a story about that yet, but, then again, I haven't searched that much.**

**What do you guys think? Hmm. I don't know. Maybe I should just keep this story as a priority before taking on too many stories.**

**Oh, one more thing: I was going to have Sesshomaru and his gang outside of the forest to begin with. Why? I don't know. Then I made them inside the forest at the last minute. Why? Because, watching old Inuyasha episodes, do you realize how _slow_ he walks? GOOD LORD.**

**When will I update next? I don't know. Don't expect a quick update like this. I think maybe this Sunday? Maybe. I DON'T KNOW. Don't take that to heart! Dx I don't need to bring someone's expectations down now. But don't forget to review either! 8) That always makes me smile to see someone like/dislike my work, or at least knowing that someone is reading this.**

**Until next time!**

**TLS**


	4. Chapter 4 : Thankful Protection

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

Both laid on the ground and were surrounded by rocks and dirt from the crater they both made. The arrow stuck out from a tree, burning from the purification on the arrow itself. Kikyo stood over their bodies as Inuyasha slowly came to from the subjugation spell as Kagome was still unconscious. They had barely dodged the arrow she shot off and it was all thanks to Kagome's quick thinking.

Inuyasha looked down at the unconscious Kagome. Of all the things she had to do, she had to say _that _word and send them down to the ground together. And now look at her: she was bruised, cut, and blood was coming out from those cuts. She was breathing, that was the main thing. Inuyasha reached out to Kagome's face and could feel the blood come out of the wounds he created; what had he done?

His beast was subsiding. He could feel his nails shorten on their own, his fangs go back to their normal size, and his markings somehow disappearing. The red in his eyes just from looking at Kagome was dissipating and his human, caring side was kicking in. He was worried about Kagome now, all because he harmed her.

His mind was scrambling. He regretted everything, somehow. To see her pained look, even when she couldn't feel anything, on her face and her tears falling out of her eyes because he did it was something he never wanted to experience, especially with Kagome. In his mind, he wanted her to forgive him for what he did, just to make this pain in his heart go away. _I'm sorry, Kagome, _he thought as he wiped the blood off her face and rose from the crater.

Kikyo bent down to Inuyasha and whispered, "Are you hurt?" and he shook his head. He could withstand this pain, as much as he didn't want to, and he was more worried about Kagome. What would she feel when she slipped back into consciousness? "Good," she whispered and stood back up from the ground. Inuyasha looked up at Kikyo with his ears drooped and a bit of regret stricken on his face. She scoffed.

She felt nothing. In fact, she felt more _alive_ from shooting the arrow at her than anything else. But then she had to say the word because her life was threatened. It was _selfish_, because if she would've just died, another life would've been spared from Hell's fire. _How is it that she seems to live while I continue to suffer?_ Kikyo shook the thought aside and turned to Kagome, whose eyes were screaming pain.

When she first woke up, Kagome could feel her back and legs shoot up and down with pain. It hurt to even try to find a comfortable position so the pain could at least stay away, just for a little while. Her head was pounding from the last memory before she turned to darkness for comfort; her arms could barely move as they twitched from the bruises; she could feel the blood on her face dry in a matter of minutes. _At least I'm alive,_ she thought as she let her eyes open.

Kagome could see Kikyo and Inuyasha staring down at her. One had a face of worry, and another of pure anger. Her breathing had started to get heavier as she started to configure the last memories she had before going unconscious. Then, she started to, slowly but surely, back away from the two people that had hurt her the most in her life.

She looked pathetic. She was pushing her body away from Inuyasha with her feet and trying to find rocks underneath her palms so she could push off those to move as well. Every time she moved, she would wince; it was painful. Tears stung her eyes from the new cuts on her legs; discoloration of the legs came about; a little trail of blood followed her to the edge of the crater, where her legs would give out and she would lean against the rocks behind her.

Inuyasha crawled on all fours to her as she tended to her own wounds. He had a little cut on his face, but it would heal in a matter of hours. Hers would take nearly a week before it would show signs of healing. Kagome's breathing started to slowly go back to normal—although, she was still breathing quite heavily at the sight of Inuyasha crawling to her. No matter how many times she saw him now, her heart would ache and the pain got worse.

Perhaps she shouldn't have saved him from a treacherous death from his beloved. She closed her eyes and thought about it. On one hand, she could've let the arrow go through her to hit Inuyasha, killing him in the process. She would've had a slight chance of survival, so maybe she should've taken the chances. On the other hand, she loved him, no matter how much she hated him in the process. _My life sucks_, she thought. She opened her eyes and found Inuyasha staring at her.

He was full of regret, and she could see it. "Kagome," he whispered. She needed no pity from him, especially after what she had gone through the past minutes. (At least, they felt like minutes) "You have to believe me when I didn't mean to harm you."

"Yet heartbreak was not on the list?" she strained out with whatever was left as her voice. Inuyasha bowed his head in guilt and he continued.

"I never meant to bring you into harm's way. You know that, Kagome. I must protect you at all costs, right?" she shook her head and started to pound against the ground. She wished she had some voice to yell at him. "I know you're angry, and I deserve every bit of your anger. But, Kagome, shouldn't you have subdued me before this?" Kagome stopped pounding.

Indeed, she could've subdued him. It would've made things worse as his demon side was dominant; it would've done no good for either side to use the beads. "No," she hoarsely whispered back, "we both know it would've done nothing." She was right. His demon side would've only grown and she would possibly be dead. There was a deep silence before Kagome continued.

"Inuyasha," she closed her eyes and leaned back against the ground, "you do deserve all of my anger and frustration against you, but I simply have no anger left to give now." She situated herself again so the pain would go down a little bit. It simply was not possible anymore. "You have caused me too much pain and I only want it to go away," tears left her eyes again and she calmly whispered out: "I wish I were dead to never feel what you have done to me." Inuyasha reached out to her.

How he wanted to console her, but he knew she could never forgive him so easily. Not in a long shot. "Kagome, I-" but he was cut off by Kikyo's voice in the making.

"If those are your wishes, let us fulfill them," and Kikyo saw Kagome nod. _This is it, then. My darkest hour, coming to pass. _Inuyasha rose from whence he came from and stood next to Kikyo. "Kikyo, what are you doing?"

She looked at him and smiled. "Saving a soul," she whispered and a soul stealer came down from the sky. Inuyasha's heart was beating a mile a minute, heavy like a ton of bricks, and he could feel tears threaten his own eyes. Kagome was shaking from the pain in her body, and it was all because of him. Just looking at her made him want to take her suffering away and put it in his own state of mind.

The soul stealer floated over Kagome's body. She could feel the light radiate off the little demon and didn't want to open her eyes. _If darkness is all I will see from here on out, I don't want to see what will happen, _she thought. Inuyasha bowed his head in shame as Kikyo let her hand wave over the demon and Kagome. She was going to die, and Inuyasha couldn't protect her; it was all his fault. He closed his eyes; he didn't want to see it happen, anyway.

A crackling noise was heard. All Kagome felt was pain.

* * * *

Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks. Somehow, the air had changed in a matter of seconds when he first started on the trek. He contemplated on going back to his group, but something interesting had happened: Inuyasha was now a half-demon again, just by being subdued by _that_ woman. From far away, he could see a red blur hunched over something, but it was blocked by said red blur. He continued.

The scent of human blood had gotten stronger every step he took. It was an awful smell—every human scent seemed to irate him—and tried to block the smell out each time he got closer to the group. He could smell the other human's blood from the village, but this blood stood out the most. _Minor cuts, so she should be able to survive easily. And yet, it feels as if she is weak, _he thought.

He was almost to the group when he saw the red blur—he would not use Inuyasha's name, for that was a low title for a demon—inch closer to whatever was on the ground and the undead standing over them look to the sky. He did the same, and found numerous soul stealers hovering over the forest. There had to be at least twenty.

He could make out the conversations easily, but the _human_ was still out of view. The hoarse whispers coming from her actually made him uneasy. What had gone on that made her sound like _that_? When Inuyasha stood from the ground to talk to the undead (she wanted to "save a soul", it sounded like) he got his answer. _So, it was not Inuyasha's human blood spilt, but yours, Miko,_ and he felt his pace quicken.

Something his beast felt had made him start to walk a little faster—it was unnoticeable to the human eye, though. He was almost to the small field where they resided when a soul stealer had begun to hover over the girl's body. It was clear what the undead's intentions were, and Inuyasha was in no mood to save the Miko. _And yet,_ he looked at the girl on the ground, _it is as if she welcomes death. _The light around the soul stealer had grown and the girl's breathing started to become heavier.

His beast would have no such thing happen on his lands, especially if it were his brother doing it. He reached the little field and let his beast do the rest: his green claws produced a light green whip and carelessly destroyed the little soul stealer. His aura unnoticeable by Inuyasha, he then made it known that he had just saved yet another human from death; what was wrong with him?

Inuyasha knew the green light and could only produce a growl towards Sesshomaru. Kikyo had also turned her attention to Sesshomaru, who seemed passive about the whole idea. Sesshomaru, however, continued to look at the girl on the ground, wondering why she wanted to die and how she had gotten to that point. He paid no attention to those staring rather angrily at what he had just done.

Kagome felt the light disappear. At first, she heard nothing. It was complete silence. She thought she was dead, but felt the pain still there in her back and legs. Then a small growl came from Inuyasha. What had happened when her eyes were closed? "Sesshomaru," Kagome heard from Inuyasha. _Impossible,_ she thought, _Sesshomaru is nowhere to be found! His aura is not here!_ She let her eyes open and saw where Inuyasha and Kikyo were looking: towards the edge of the field.

"Hn," Sesshomaru let out a little grunt. Kagome looked over there as well to meet the eyes of Sesshomaru staring down on her body. If he hated her back then, he must hate her now, for just looking at her disfigured body would make anyone pity her. "I had wondered what my incandescent brother was doing here," Inuyasha took Tetsuseiga out, but Sesshomaru's gaze had not faltered at Kagome.

Why was he so fascinated in the girl on the ground? She had done no good in his life, especially when they had first met at his father's grave. _For what she has done in the past, she should be dead,_ he thought. Kagome closed her eyes in pain and leaned back on the edge of the crater. Something pulsed in Sesshomaru. Inuyasha moved in front of Kagome with Tetsuseiga blocking his view of her face. "Oi! Sesshomaru! She's none of your business!"

Sesshomaru had to look at his brother now. "What you do on my lands, brother, is my business. How is it that you were a demon one minute and you turn into a low half-demon the next? What had happened, Inuyasha?" Kikyo answered for Inuyasha, much to Sesshomaru's dismay.

"She merely got in the way," and Sesshomaru glanced over at the graveyard scent he recognized, "She had injured herself because I shot an arrow," she pointed at the tree, to which Sesshomaru did not follow, "and subdued Inuyasha in the mix. We had no part in that, so to say, and now she wanted to die mere moments ago. All because she could not accept that Inuyasha was in love with another." Sesshomaru glanced back at Inuyasha.

He was growling—a weak growl, in Sesshomaru's opinion, but he was still growling. "I did not ask a soulless being what had happened. Inuyasha," Inuyasha's grip on his sword tightened, "did your human side feel remorse?" Red flashed in Inuyasha's eyes; yes, this is what he wanted to see after all. Kagome could see Sesshomaru through a small crack between the sword and the ground, and, suddenly, the sword was brought up in the air.

It was then brought down to produce the wind scar. Sesshomaru easily dodged the attack and landed beside his brother. Inuyasha did not see the attack coming, and he was suddenly in the air flying into the forest. Kikyo did nothing but look back down at Kagome. Kagome, after all, was fascinated at what she was looking at and continued to watch the fight between brothers. They had forgotten about the two women there and Kikyo found an advantage to Sesshomaru merely showing up: she could bring misery to Kagome after all.

"So, Kagome," Kagome looked up at Kikyo and saw another arrow pointed at her, "are you prepared now?"

* * * *

"Damn it, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha rose from the ground and he just stood there, looking down at the wounded half-demon. "You are not in any of this! Just leave!" Sesshomaru grunted.

"You are on my lands, Inuyasha. You are my business," and Inuyasha rebutted.

"It's only between the three of us!"

"Absurd, for the girl is not in your business anymore," and Inuyasha growled. It was true, though, because Kagome had no say in what was going on anymore. She was just there to die, really. _She will die if she continues on this path,_ Sesshomaru quickly thought. Inuyasha shook his head.

He wanted to deny it. "You're wrong! Yes, I'm a fool for putting Kagome like that, but she…she did it to herself!" Sesshomaru blinked. It was stubbornness, after all, that Inuyasha was well known for, and he had not failed here, either.

"I do not care about your troubles, Inuyasha, but I do believe you put this on her." Inuyasha snarled and charged Sesshomaru. He continued to blindly swing his sword as Sesshomaru found no reason to fight Inuyasha. After all, he was just there to see his full demon side once more. As the fight went on, Sesshomaru could see the changes in Inuyasha as he grew angrier and fiercer than ever before. His claws and fangs were growing again and markings on his face were appearing. _Yes, this is what I came for, _and Sesshomaru brought out his Tenseiga.

He thought about bringing Bakusaiga out. Then again, he did not want to kill his brother, although it would've been nice to have him out of the picture; he merely wanted to injure the half-demon. So he took out Tenseiga. Not like he could do any damage with his own sword, but it would confuse Inuyasha enough to attack him once more with his claws. And, with his speed, it would not be long before Inuyasha was sent flying into the woods.

This time, he expected Inuyasha to not be up in a long while, but anything could happen. He sheathed his sword, merely because he did not need it, and breathed in the air. The scent of human blood had gotten stronger.

He turned back to where the Miko was and began to walk—at a faster pace than before—back to the field. He saw the girl standing now, blood still coming out of some of her wounds, and was now faced with yet another arrow. But he was too far away to do anything to the one holding the arrow to her body; it was her job to save herself before he reached her.

Kagome looked at Kikyo and felt the energy around Kikyo grow. It was pure anger. _"Are you prepared now?" _echoed in her mind and Kagome could only smile. "Who would be prepared for this, Kikyo?" She had a point: not one person believes they will die before they are struck with a realization that they will die. No one prepares for death before it is so close that you must. Kikyo watched as Kagome rose from the crater and she still held the arrow towards Kagome's heart. "Are you?"

"Are you asking me if I am prepared to take your soul?" Kagome could only nod. After all, isn't that what Kikyo has been after all along? Surely, in the past, it did not stop Kikyo trying to get the one thing she wants in her life: her own life back. "I have been prepared since you went through that well," and pulled the string of the bow back further. Kagome felt her head pound again from the pain and could feel herself get dizzy. But, she stayed strong and stood her ground against Kikyo.

"Then why haven't you killed me yet?" Kikyo smiled, in a very peculiar way. Yes, if she wanted to kill Kagome so much, why wasn't she dead yet? Kikyo turned away from her and pointed the arrow in the direction of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. This time, though, she aimed it right at the person walking towards them: Sesshomaru.

She let the arrow fly and whispered: "Because he saved you." The arrow spun through the air and Kagome watched the light from Kikyo's power soar towards Sesshomaru. He stopped moving and watched the arrow come at him. More and more did the little weapon get closer to him and he just stood there, seeing the leaves on the trees rip off the branches from the force of the shot.

He was impressed at the power and intensity of something that came from a mere human, _especially _a dead one. Kagome, however, was not. She felt her legs move on their own and stumbled towards Sesshomaru. Even though he was far away, and she was still at the crater, she still made her legs move. What if he wasn't going to move though?

Kagome pushed Kikyo aside with her bruised arms and whispered, "Move, Sesshomaru," and his demon ears twitched. He merely blinked and watched the arrow almost reach his body. She closed her eyes and screamed with whatever was left of her voice: "Move, Sesshomaru!" She felt the air rush past her left side and suddenly another person by her side.

Kagome opened her eyes and looked at said person to see none other than Sesshomaru, holding Kikyo up by the throat. His other hand had green claws. "Weakling, you should know your place in mortality," he spoke, "for this is no way to live, merely attacking those more powerful than yourself," he looked over at Kagome through the corner of his eyes, "nor is that a way to die."

His gaze focused on Kikyo once more and Kagome kept her eyes on Sesshomaru. "Why is the mighty Sesshomaru helping a mere _human_ then?" Sesshomaru didn't really have an answer for this. He did not feel anything towards Kagome, nor did he do this because she was in danger. No, that wasn't it.

"A half-breed and a person with nothing that lives should not kill something for mere possession," he whispered back. Kagome was shocked; was that his way of saying he was interested in a human's life? "She," referring to Kagome, "had sparked something in that half-breed to turn into a demon. I was intrigued." No, she thought too soon. _It was just the demon side of Inuyasha that saved me,_ she sighed.

Then, rusting in the trees came from the forest. The wind was dead. Kagome looked to the trees to see something coming. Sesshomaru threw Kikyo down to the ground and turned to the forest. It was Inuyasha, and he was a demon once more. Kagome just stood in awe as Sesshomaru unsheathed the Bakusaiga and unleashed Hell in his own forest. She didn't even try to move when the two had moved over where she was; she was too fascinated in Sesshomaru.

He had tried to kill her numerous times, tried to even keep her at bay from so many things in this era. There was a stench to her that Sesshomaru could not stand and he would not stand for. So, now, after all those years of anguish, why did it now seem he was protecting her, in one way or another? In a matter of seconds Inuyasha was down on the ground again, cut and torn by Sesshomaru's wrath.

"Know your place," Sesshomaru sheathed his sword, "half-breed." Once that was said, Sesshomaru had begun his exit. Kagome looked at the pained Inuyasha on the forest floor, then to Kikyo, who was rubbing her neck and getting up from her injuries, then to look at Sesshomaru. She began to walk towards him but he did not stop. She did, though.

"Sesshomaru?" He stopped at her voice. Something about the sound of his name from her made him stop. Had it been because of Rin?

He said nothing. He would just listen. Kagome moved forward, but his demon ears twitched from another noise. He slightly turned his head to see her bowing her head; he saw nothing out of the ordinary. "I--" He turned back towards the forest and responded.

"If there is something you must say, then say it quickly, before I regret saving your measly life," Kagome nodded and swallowed whatever pride she had left and bowed again. After all, she did not mean to anger Sesshomaru; he had saved her life! He should at least think more highly of himself now.

"Well, I," she cleared her throat. Sesshomaru's ears twitched again. What was that noise? She took another step towards him. "I just wanted to say," and her breath was hitched. A long sigh left her lips and Sesshomaru heard a new noise echo through the air. He turned his head and his eyes had widened for a mere second. He was staring at an even greater shocked Kagome, who seemed to be in mid-sentence.

Kikyo had been panting the past minutes and let her bow fall to the ground. Inuyasha's head lifted to see what had been done and then rested back on the ground. Kagome looked down at her side to see the arrow's head pointing out of her skin and blood dripped down on the leaves. She looked back up at Sesshomaru, who had followed her gaze down to the arrow, too, and saw her uniform bleed red. He met her eyes once more and she smiled.

"To say thank you," she whispered. She felt the world grow dark and the forest started to spin. She knew she was going to fall unconscious again and started to fall to her knees. When her knees collided with the dirt, she looked up at Sesshomaru once more and noticed him standing still, still in front of her by five feet. "For saving me," she finished and closed her eyes. She started to fall to her side. Soon enough, she hit the forest floor and fell into a deep sleep, away from the pain.

Red flashed in his eyes. He looked at Kikyo. She would not escape from pain; he knew only that. Everything else went blank.

**Again, I actually updated on the day I told you! I should just make myself have a deadline for each chapter and then update on said date. Hm.**

**Anyway, this is the..uh, fourth chapter? I forgot. It probably feels rushed, but I swear, I did try to make it slow and progressive like the other chapters! Please, you have to believe me! At first, I wanted Sesshomaru to catch her while she fell (CLICHE) but I thought it was too soon for that. I'll just let him take out his anger next chapter (maybe) or something.**

**Uh, next chapter will be all about his past and why he feels he needs to hurt Kikyo. I shouldn't say that, the whole chapter won't be about his past. Maybe a quarter of the chapter will be about that. The rest of it? Who's to say! 8D Yes, I realize this chapter is long, but I had so much to pack in that it had to be done. This will probably be one of the longest chapters in the story, but, then again, who knows about that.**

**Thank you so much for all the reviews so far! 8D I loveeeee it! You should keep reviewing too, love or hate, and I'll love you forever!**

**So, when will I update again? Let's say Friday. Friday's a good day. And review! That'll make me write hecka fast and all, so...review and you'll be rewarded! 8)**

**Until next time!**

**TLS**


	5. Chapter 5 : Blank Memories

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**SIDE NOTES!:**

**_Thinking is written like this. (So are flashbacks, when they come)_**

**"Talking is written like this." **

**

* * *

**

_Previously, on Blossoms into Love..._

_"Thank you, for saving me."_

_Red flashed in his eyes. Everything else went blank.

* * *

_

It had been centuries ago that Sesshomaru felt something like this before. It returned when Rin was in danger, but nothing this strong. Time seemed to digress as Sesshomaru was welcomed by the homily memories of home as a child, his mother to be more precise. He had been very protective of her because of how she treated him in the years she was actually around. She was attached to him and he the same. They were inseparable, especially when his father got in the picture.

Before the _human_ joined his family (he never thought of her as family after what his father did to his mother) happiness filled his heart. He had not always been a cold-hearted demon out to kill one thing after another. No, his mother taught him to love and care for everything, from the little things like flowers to the big things like when he would find himself a mate. Every night, he would even hear the story of his mother and father meeting for the first time.

It was not a special bond, but one that grew on them over the years. In human years, it was twelve years before Sesshomaru was even conceived. They began as foes. She was a dog demoness, a mere wanderer that had strayed in his Western lands, and he a Lord of a large amount of land. They had even fought against one another before had to retreat after a vicious attack that almost tore her arm clean off.

It would be two human years later when they would meet again. The other Lords from other lands had surrounded her and found that she had fought against the Western Lord, the Great Dog Demon. She had snarled and growled against all of them, but eventually found herself outnumbered by the lot of them. Then, he had shown himself to stand before her and protect her from all of their attacks. He was wounded near death, but he did not regret it; he was attached to her for some reason.

So from then on, they were friends. Nearly once a month, they had found time for each other and roamed the lands to find some time to catch up. A few times did he find her wounded from battle with another Lord, but she refused to say who had attacked her. "I must always keep my enemies close," she would always say. And even a few times he was injured from battle, but he, too, would not say who attacked him.

Somehow, as the years dragged on, they had started to see each other more. It turned to twice a month, then three, then once a week, then every day after the eighth year. He had even built a place for her to live on his lands! "He wanted to protect me with every ounce of strength he had, so I had no choice but live in the home," she would always smile about. She would seem to bother him with whatever business he had for the week, and when she would leave, it seemed to take a toll on him, for he found it lonely after that.

The year came when he confessed his love. It was in front of the other Lords. She had not known they were coming one day, and she walked in on a meeting. They all scolded her for having no manners for the Great Dog Demon but he would have none of that on his lands. Especially for the woman he loved so very much. He stood in front of her again, the same stance he used to protect her from the Lords in the past, and protected her once more. This time, he had words to add:

"'I will not have such attitudes to the woman that I have grown to love,' he said to me. Oh, Sesshomaru, it was a magical time! You never know who you will love until you protect them," she told him once. The Lords had nothing to say and merely walked out of the room and out of the home to wander back to their lands. Of course they wanted to object to their courtship, but would he listen? Of course not.

When they did leave, she was taken aback. After all these years! When he turned to her, he had such a pleading look in his eyes that only spelt love. The silence was a lot to take in, but it was just comfortable enough for her lips to steal his. "Yes, I was the one to take the kiss from him, because he can't have everything!" she laughed. The rest, of course, is history and it seemed their relationship would never falter.

Then, his father took in the _human_ one night. It was nearly three months before it happened, but his mother would suffer the most. Sesshomaru protected her against his father's strength, even if he knew his father would succeed in victory. Strength, back then, was not his forte, especially against the one that made him. His father would attack her in rage after she would smell a different scent around the home.

Of course that scent would be _hers_, the _human's_ scent. It was everywhere around his father, and even Sesshomaru could not stand next to him without being angry. But every night before he would fall asleep—it would not be every night, but nearly twice a week as a child—she would always have a smile on her face and whisper: "Forgive your father, Sesshomaru. He means no harm to us. He'll love us again, I promise," she would smile before leaving him for the night.

But it never ended like that. More and more did his father grow farther away from both Sesshomaru and his mother. Every night, she would be in Sesshomaru's room instead of her own, for the fear of death overcame her peaceful nights. She barely slept and he would try to stay up every night to protect her, but she would always smile and say: "Now, now, Sesshomaru, you must dream. Maybe your mate will show up," and he would obey.

The night before the human came was when Sesshomaru really protected his mother. Few screams were heard in their room, and Sesshomaru was outside of the door for most of the argument. It was about the _human_ and how his love had then disappeared for his mate. He could hear his mother crying and telling him to think about Sesshomaru, but his father had no words for his son; it was all about the love that was gone. Then, another scream came, and Sesshomaru had no choice.

It was the first time he had red in his eyes. His mother was facing a sword at her head and his father had red in his eyes as well. There was blood on the ground; Sesshomaru snapped and leapt towards his father. He had no choice. It was a short battle, for Sesshomaru was pulled away from him by his mother and there was no more to be said or done. His mother had scolded him in his room for what he had done, but at the same time, she was crying. It was the first and only time he saw her cry. "Thank you, Sesshomaru. I do hope you make someone happy in your future, just like you did for me."

The _human_ came and mated with his father. Sesshomaru could not be near him and he watched as his mother was thrown away, as if she were a piece of garbage. Every day, Sesshomaru would spend as much time with his mother as possible and she would always tell him she loved him; he knew it was directed at _him_, though. And for all of those days, she would deteriorate more and more, but she would try not to falter near Sesshomaru. "You always worry about me, and protect me. You can get rid of those red eyes when your father is around, you know," she would say.

He couldn't help it. She was the first woman in his life, and he had no choice but to love her first. One day, when he was a little older, she told him to take his eyes off of her for one day, just one day only. He had obeyed again and went elsewhere for a day. He didn't mind giving his mother privacy. When he had reached his favorite river—one that he still visits every once in a while—he smelt blood. And it was his mother.

She was a damsel in distress, he always thought. When he was running back to their home, the scent got stronger and stronger. His father's scent was mixed with her blood; it was his doing after all. He reached the home to find a somber mood set on everyone around, even from the Lords. It seemed that they, too, had something to do with her death. He ran into the home to his room to find his mother hunched on the ground, bleeding from her stomach and chest.

They were stab wounds. His father ran out of the room before Sesshomaru could stop him and he was covered in her blood. She looked at him and whispered, "It's not his fault," and started to fall to the ground. Sesshomaru did not care if the stench was too much for his weak nose to take; he had to catch her. He fell on his knees in her blood and watched her die in his arms. When he felt her take her last breath, she had a smile on her face and said: "Thank you, for protecting me."

He became cold-hearted when she died. His happiness was gone, ripped out from his heart and soul. His father did not want to bury her near the home, but Sesshomaru refused to listen to him. He buried her under her favorite tree—a Sakura tree, full of cherry blossoms and color. Every time the wind blew when Sesshomaru was near the tree, he thought of his mother with a smile graced on his face. No more would he speak to his father the same way, nor would he smile at that man ever again. Especially when Inuyasha was born into the world soon after.

Now, he saw Kikyo looking at him with a smug look and a glint in her eyes. She was thinking about shooting him, no doubt. Inuyasha had regained consciousness and was sitting upright looking at the girl on the ground. Sesshomaru had looked back down at her and knew his eyes were red. It was the second time anyone had thanked him like that, and they were soon to die once more. It could've been his mother driving him like this, but he did not mind; after all, he did hate his brother.

Inuyasha whispered, "Sesshomaru, what have you done?" and Sesshomaru started to snarl. The wind around him began to pick up and knew that his beast was furious at the half-demon just across the way. He then saw Kikyo starting to stand up again and possibly escape. He would not let that happen.

He cracked his knuckles and ran.

* * * *

Sango and Miroku rested inside the hut where Inuyasha once was mere hours ago. Shippo was sleeping—maybe unconscious from his injuries, none of them knew—and Kirara was sitting in Sango's lap. Miroku had finished bandaging his arm and Sango's arm from Inuyasha's attacks. "I worry, Miroku," Sango whispered, "What if Kagome is dead?"

Indeed, it was on both of their minds. The somber mood in the air had not escaped since Kagome had arrived back from her era. "Lady Kagome is strong. We must have faith that she will get through this alive," he whispered back. Sango leaned on his shoulder for rest and he on the wall of the hut. If anything, they needed uplifting words from what had been going on in that forest now to get through the night.

Sango replied: "I wish I were there to protect her. She had left her bag and bow here," she opened her eyes and looked to the opposite corner. There were her belongings, almost hidden by the darkness in the hut. She closed her eyes again and knew she would fall asleep any minute. She would not know what she would dream about, whether it be Kagome's death or not, but Sango knew her body needed rest. "I wish I were there," and Miroku looked down at her.

Yes, she was asleep, and Miroku let his head hit the wall again. Closing his eyes, he let out a few tears before whispering back, "Yes, we all do, dear Sango," and fell asleep as well. Never had silence felt a little peaceful.

* * * *

A tree was cut in half and on the ground next to Kagome's body. Kikyo was on the ground again, and this time, she would not get up so easily. Sesshomaru had crashed into Kikyo and let her fly through a tree before throwing her to the ground with all he had; he pinned her on the forest floor and pushed her down further in the dirt. "You deserve to be in a grave, vermin," he snarled. Inuyasha never saw Sesshomaru reach Kikyo until she was already on the ground.

He had no choice but to at least try and save Kikyo. Sesshomaru realized this before he started to walk and he turned his head towards Inuyasha. Red was all he saw in his eyes with the gold pupils still intact and Inuyasha growled. "Get off of her, Sesshomaru," but Sesshomaru turned his attention back to her. "I said get off..!"

"Silence, half-breed," Sesshomaru harshly replied. He dug his nails deeper into her neck and Kikyo struggled to breathe whatever air was left around Sesshomaru. It was as if he was making her suffocate without actually suffocating her. Kikyo managed to strain out:

"I have no regrets, filthy demon," and Sesshomaru snapped at her. His fangs were so close to her skin that she did, though, have fear in her heart. "You saved her from death, and she deserves to die," she continued.

Sesshomaru leaned closer to Kikyo. She could feel her bones ache from both the strong contact made against the ground and from Sesshomaru's weight crushing her arms, stomach, and chest. "You will regret defying against morals," he growled. Inuyasha made a move towards the two of them but Sesshomaru snapped his head towards him. "You will stay away if it," referring to Kikyo, "means that much to you," and Inuyasha kept his distance.

Sesshomaru continued with his 'conversation' with Kikyo: "You will take that arrow out of her body," and Kikyo spat back:  
"Never." She felt his claws dig even deeper into her neck and struggled to breathe. The soul stealers began to try to get to her with souls, but Sesshomaru used his other claw to slice the demons away.

Sesshomaru continued: "Take the arrow out of her body, or you will not live to see sunrise," and Kikyo certainly did not want that. However, Kikyo grunted in anger and managed to whisper:

"Why…her?" Sesshomaru eased his grip on her neck and pulled her up from the hole he dug for her. He jumped away from the little crater and landed near Kagome. He stared at her wound: she was burning—slowly—from Kikyo's power left on the arrow; blood still was dripping from the side; a large puddle had surrounded her body. She had not long to live.

Again, he did not know why. "You will not question my intentions anymore," and he dropped her to the ground. Kikyo gasped for air and her soul stealers dropped more and more souls into her body. Inuyasha made yet another move towards her and Sesshomaru unsheathed Bakusaiga once more and aimed it at him. "Stay out of this, creature," and Inuyasha growled.

"Don't hurt her anymore, Sesshomaru!" He grunted.

"I cannot promise such a thing," and Inuyasha hunched over down on the ground again to growl. He wanted to attack, but against Sesshomaru when he was pissed? It was near impossible to beat him. Kikyo coughed and Sesshomaru snapped his head back to her. "Will you do what I ask?" And Kikyo could only nod.

"If we are allowed to leave soon after, then I will reluctantly oblige, Sesshomaru," and he sheathed his sword once more. He watched as Kikyo, as weak as she was, crawled her way towards Kagome's body and felt her hand touch the blood. Blood, something that she had not had in a long time. It was warm to the touch and some parts were sticky and a darker red than the rest. _So this is living._

Kikyo thought about not doing what Sesshomaru wanted. But, those red eyes, those fangs, and those claws…yes, there was fear to be had after seeing those up close and personal. She would do what he wished for in the beginning and took a hold of the arrow. _No matter, our revenge on you and this girl will be done, _she thought, _so see to it that you be around her more._ She started to pull away from Kagome's body and felt the arrow slip further out of her side.

Kagome could feel the arrow. Her eyes fluttered for only a moment but the pain ripping at her side had made her body cringe. She could feel her body shake from the immense pain travelling up and down her body and once the arrowhead was inside her body again, she could feel some skin rip from it. It made her fall unconscious again, just from the pain.

When Kikyo had pulled the last bit out of her body, she threw the arrow down into the blood and rose from the ground. Kagome's blood dripped from her clothing, but she felt nothing. "Come, Inuyasha, for we are leaving," and Kikyo stumbled over by Inuyasha. He stood from his spot in the forest and let her fall on his back. He knew she needed rest, and lots of it. He took one last look at Sesshomaru, whose eyes were covered, and ran back towards the village from whence they came.

* * * *

Sesshomaru felt his beast calming after seeing the arrow out of her body. His eyes must've been back to normal because he felt the urge to walk away. But he couldn't, could he? This girl was lying on the ground, bleeding to death, all because of what he did as a "good deed."

He tried to recall what had happened between Kikyo and his beast, but it was a blank part of his memory. He only could look at his claws to see dirt under his fingernails and dried blood from his brother. _How I should've killed him when I had the chance, _he thought. Now, every time he breathed in the air around, all he could smell was _her_, the one he actually saved.

"_Thank you" _rang in his head and he let his feet bathe in her blood. He soon sat down on the grass and let his body rest on the fallen tree next to hers. He felt her blood seep on his clothing, but he did not care. It kept him alert through the night, in case of demons trying to kill her or possibly eat her. So he watched her bleed small amounts of blood at a time and let his beast struggle on whether or not to let her live in pain or to consume her himself.

It wouldn't be until morning before he would tend to her wounds.

**Well. I actually didn't care about updating today and decided, what the heck.**

**I was just going to wait until Friday to update with this, but how I wrote this really fast, I think I should just update today. Who knows, I could update again Friday!**

**I want to clear up a few things before I continue on with the story though, because I know a LOT of you will question a lot of this and tell me that something's wrong:**

**1. I know (spoiler) Sesshomaru's mother is alive in the Manga. I KNOW THAT. She only showed up for one chapter though! I feel like she's just a minor character and I think we can all agree that we can kill her. She was so hard on Sesshomaru, and I pictured another person as his mother.**

**2. Yes, I gave him Bakusaiga. AND YES, I KNOW KIKYO DIES WAY BEFORE HE GETS THAT SWORD. Technically, Kikyo _is_ dead in the manga and anime, but hey, I can't have drama without her. The reason I gave him Bakusaiga is simple: I need him to have two arms.**

**3. Yes, the shikon jewel is still with Kagome.**

**4. No, Sesshomaru does not have any feelings towards Kagome, nor does he have any more blood on his outfit than on his feet.**

**5. Did Sesshomaru transform? No. He was just like Inuyasha and turned into a maniac 8D**

**Sorry about the whole past thing taking up about half the story. I actually was getting into the whole flashback! I didn't mean for it to take up _2000 _words, but that's how it went and I apologize. Hopefully it fits into the story like I think it does, but hey, I could be wrong. I originally wanted it to take up maybe 1000 words or so, but after I thought about it could be rushed, I added a thousand more. I'm such a nice person.**

**Let's keep Friday open for an update day. I feel that's nice enough to do, since this seems to be a filler more than anything else. Whoops. Oh, and I must reply back to some of the reviews I have gotten! 8)**

**KatiechanXoxoXSesshoukun - You were my first reviewer! Huzzah! 8) I love how you call this story "awesome" every time. It brings a smile to my face!  
Mesuki - Oh, I could probably list more fanfictions that are better than this! But thank you for the compliment and I hope you love the chapters to follow!  
darksilvercloud - Haha, if only it were that simple to melt her.  
Jill L - Well, I hope these chapters are wonderful and hope you stick around for what appears to be a story that will be going on for a long time.  
buzzaround - Thank you! I hate fanfictions like that, the ones that just go: "Hello. I think I love you by just looking at you" "Why, suddenly, I love you too! Let's get married!" Then insert a lot of kissing and fantasies. I feel like I'm under-appreciated because I actually take time to do details, emotions, and, you know, a story. But I can't be too objective. I'll make some mistakes here and there. And you are welcome for updating on time! Anything for my readers!**

**Remember: Review! It makes me write a lot faster and it makes me smile. I thank you all for putting me on an alert list and a favorite stories list! Also, remember that Friday is the update .. day, so look forward for a new chapter!**

**Until next time!**

**TLS**


	6. Chapter 6 : Unknown Determination

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**SIDE NOTES!**

**_Thinking is written like this. (Flashbacks and dreams, too. You'll figure it out)_**

**"Talking is written like this."**

_

* * *

Previously, on Blossoms into Love..._

_"Thank you" rang in his head and he let his feet bathe in her blood._

_It would not be until morning before he would tend to her wounds._

_

* * *

_

The sun was rising on yet another morning on the land. It had been three days since the battle. It had also been three days since Kikyo and Inuyasha returned to the village. Sango and Miroku would not have noticed until morning that they were there had it not been for the villagers' cries for help.

"_Help, help!" cried most of the villagers. Sango stirred in her sleep and woke to the sound of the new morning. She noticed Shippo and Kirara still sleeping—or still unconscious, it might take time for them to wake—and then looked to Miroku, who was holding her in his arms. His face was darkened by what had happened the night before; cuts were now easily seen up and down his face; some of his robe was torn from Inuyasha's claws._

"_Someone, please help!" was heard. Sango looked towards the entrance of the hut and noticed a red robe standing near the forest's edge, bloodied and torn in different places. She slid her way out of Miroku's grasp—he, too, woke up from both the cries of help and her moving—and walked outside. It was so bright on such an ominous day; she was expecting rain, especially from what she saw at the forest._

_She began to walk, slowly, to the two of them. She knew something was wrong after the blood was more visible in the sunlight. Some villagers had been going back and forth to bring medicinal herbs to Kikyo and checking Inuyasha for wounds. They did not know if it were their own blood or if it was someone else's; Sango knew right away. Miroku followed Sango outside with some pain in his joints and saw what she saw in the beginning. A villager, a little girl, tugged at his robe and he cautiously looked down._

_She had worry written all over her face. It must've been from all the blood she saw on his robe and on Inuyasha's robe as well. Nevertheless, he knelt down to face the girl and she started to worry even more. "Please, Monk, you must help them!" and there was no more to be said. He saw the girl run away with fresh herbs in hand and knew they would do no good for them. He then saw Sango almost reaching the exhausted couple after battle; she was determined, that's for sure._

_He rose from the ground and walked to where everyone was gathered. He was walking a little faster than Sango was, but he was just interested on what they had to say. He was about halfway there when Sango began to speak. "What happened, Inuyasha?" He did not answer. He just looked up at her with a deep regret in his eyes and then back to Kikyo, who was being treated by numerous villagers. "Answer me!" She cried out. _

_Inuyasha shook his head. "I don't even know myself," he whispered before ending with: "I was out most of the time," and looked back up at Sango. She was furious that she had no answers and then looked at Kikyo; she was sitting upright and staring at the group. Miroku reached Inuyasha and looked at the blood. He knelt down to touch the blood; it was both fresh and dried._

_Sango had tears in her eyes. "Whose blood is this?" Miroku asked; Inuyasha smeared some of the blood on his hand and let it smell the scent. It was mixed with the dirt from the crater, the wounds from Sesshomaru, and the blood of Kagome after their fall. _

_Sango then asked: "Where is she?" and both Kikyo and Inuyasha looked at the demon slayer. She was already crying. Inuyasha turned to Miroku and answered:_

"_It's mine." He was lying, but Miroku could not tell at that time. Granted, it did have some blood of his, most of it was actually Kagome's. His face darkened and he pulled some of his Robe of the Fire Rat off his shoulders to check his own wounds. Miroku, too, was intrigued at how much really could've been his own blood. There were slash marks everywhere, ranging from his shoulder down to his stomach. Miroku was about to ask who had done such a thing, but Kikyo began to speak._

"_And yet, all of the blood on my clothing is from her," Sango stepped back from Inuyasha and looked towards the Forest. "If you are wondering where she is, she is not there anymore," Kikyo thanked the villager healing her and looked back to Sango, "for she is dead," she lied. Sango felt a heavy pain placed on her heart and then began to move. Not towards the hut, but to the forest. She had to know, to have some closure if it were true. Miroku wanted to stop her and began to walk to her, but he was stopped by Inuyasha's hand._

_Miroku, who really did not want to be touched by Inuyasha, looked down at him. Such pain in his eyes! "I didn't mean to, Miroku, you have to believe me," Inuyasha's grip grew and Miroku knelt back down at his side. Inuyasha shook his head. "I never knew this was going to happen. I never meant to put her in harm's way," and he closed his eyes. For the first time in years, he began to cry. Miroku put his hand on his shoulder for condolence and Inuyasha continued._

_Sango, too, continued into the forest. She did not know if demons lurked in the shadows and merely had a scent of her blood yet, but she continued. At first, she walked, but then her legs controlled and she began to run. She had no idea where Kagome was, nor did she know what path she took, but she was determined to search the whole forest if it meant seeing her friend once more._

_They were close. Everyone in the village, too, knew that much about the pair. No matter if they had a small argument about what they were going to eat the next day, they would laugh it off the next minute and continue on with life. They were inseparable, too, for wherever Kagome went, it seemed that Sango was right beside her. Perhaps that was the drive that Sango had for finding her pair, her sister, even._

_She could feel her bruises ache with every step she made but she continued; blood probably dripped from their wounds on the leaves on the ground, but she still continued. Not knowing where she was going, it didn't matter after all. A rotting tree had fresh footsteps near its roots on the ground, and Sango stopped at the tree. She had run pretty far from Inuyasha if she actually made it here!_

_She followed the footsteps; there would be no harm in investigating, right? She found herself stepping into a small field within the forest. There were numerous battle scars on the ground, including an arrow in a tree, sword markings from Inuyasha's Tetsuseiga, and trees knocked to the ground near a crater. She suspected it was from a subjugation made by Kagome. Then, when scanning the field, she noticed a rather large puddle of blood, followed by a body. _

_It was Kagome. There was so much blood on the ground that she had to cover her nose and mouth so not to inhale the stench. Sango made her way through the brush and stumbled towards Kagome's whereabouts. There were so many wounds on her body! What had happened? How did she get these? Who did this to her? Sango started to become hysterical. What if she really was dead, and they just didn't want to bury her?_

_There were tears running down her face. If only she were there to protect her, none of this would've happened! If she would've run into the forest with Kagome, there would be no blood spilt on the grass! When she reached Kagome's body, she knelt down in her both fresh and dried blood and listened. Yes, she was breathing. It was faint, but it was enough to put her mind at ease. She caressed Kagome's face and started to wipe the blood off her brow. _

_It wasn't right. Why was she attacked like this? The wind picked up; Sango looked up. There was another there, staring down at both women. If only she had her weapon, perhaps there would be a chance for survival. "What is your business here, demon slayer?" he had asked. She looked back down and saw a lifeless Kagome under a tree, still bleeding. _

_She simply whispered: "I wanted to know if she was okay," The other sat down on the ground, away from the two humans and told her:_

"_She may not live." It was as if it were that easy to say! Sango looked at him and could easily hear Kagome's breathing stop for just a minute, then start up again. It was the sad truth, but there were no other way to baby the truth. She then heard: "Demon slayer," she looked back down at Kagome. "I am aware that this girl is from the future," Sango's eyes widened and looked back up at him._

"_Sesshomaru?" he did not react to his name and leaned back on a tree, resting his own body and mind. "Why are you here anyway?" he looked at her. She noticed a bit of pink still left in his eyes; did he do this to her?_

_He answered: "I did not injure her, do not be alarmed. I merely wonder if she would carry supplies to survive, for I cannot find anything useful for a human." Sango nodded and then looked down at Kagome. _

"_I can get them from the village. Please promise me she will be okay." Sesshomaru did not answer. She frowned; what if she were to die before she came back? "I will be as quick as possible, and I will also find some clothing for her so you do not have to bear her old blood as a stench." Sango rose from the blood and began to walk back. If it were for Kagome, Sango would do anything to keep her safe. She looked back at Kagome once more before knowing that she had to be determined to grab the first aid kit Kagome always talked about._

Now, Sango and Miroku were in another hut away from Inuyasha and Kikyo. Sango made no noise to make such a suggestion, but Miroku understood after Sango came back from the forest nearly three days ago. The fury that radiated off of her body was enough to realize that she could not be near them. It had been three days, yes, and Sango had yet to talk about what had happened in the forest, much less the return with supplies galore.

Shippo and Kirara were finally conscious, but their wounds still needed to heal. Shippo, too, had not said a word since the battle, nor did he really want to; after all, Kagome was out there suffering somewhere, and he couldn't do anything. He had seen Inuyasha and Kikyo once since the battle, and they were farther apart from the group than ever before. Miroku broke the silence, however, and stared at the fire inside.

"I am sure she is healing," he whispered. Sango continued to rest on her mat and refused to look at him. She would break down otherwise. Shippo, too, did not look at Miroku, but stared at the fire with him. It was warm and it was needed. After all, they had not seen the warmth come back since Kagome had ran away.

* * * *

He had not known how to bandage a human the first morning after retrieving the supplies. When it was with Rin, her small arms required just a scrap of bandage and nothing more. This girl, though, with a gaping hole in her side, had to have more than that; it would require a lot more. Nevertheless, he had acquired the skill of tending to her wounds and watched the girl express nothing; it was as if he were holding a stuffed doll in his arms. She looked lifeless.

Sesshomaru was now roaming the forest after three days. He had gone back to see Rin and Jaken—more or less Rin than anything else—to see if they were still safe. When Rin saw the blood on his outfit, she was worried, but he reassured her that it was nothing. Well, in his own mind, it was nothing, but whatever he said, she believed. So there was nothing more to be said on the matter. He had told Jaken to stay at camp and wait a few days more before venturing again. The little imp could only comply.

Now, Sesshomaru was in the forest away from Kagome. Actually, he was as far away from her as possible before losing her scent. The stench of blood had been too much since the battle, and his beast needed relaxation once in a while. So he was out collecting food. He did not know when she would awaken, and he did not know whether or not humans eat after a strenuous battle. Nonetheless, he used the tactics that he learned on Rin since her attack and collectively kept to himself.

He contemplated the girl's place. She was a low-being, a human no less. He did not hate humans, for he had his ward for nearly two years now, but thought of them as trash. What _had_ his father seen in humans? _They are not viable for such feelings of love,_ he thought before picking berries off a tree.

But look at him! He was now caring for a human, something he thought was the lowest of the low beside half-demons. _A demon has no excuse for an activity as such,_ and looked at the berries. If it were Rin, he would do it in a heartbeat, for he had grown to her company. Why was this girl any different? Her personality was like Rin's, and she had some features about her that reminded him of his little ward. _Nonsense, for she is nothing like her. She is neither sweet nor generous._

Then again, it would be wrong for him to judge a woman that he rarely saw, much less knew. _I am no better than a human judging those by appearance and personality,_ he thought while walking towards the girl. He did not want to venture out far, for the safety of her life was in his hands; the thought of judging humans still rattled in his mind. _If I care for this girl now, because of what that half-breed has done, why must I judge her? Certainly she would judge my well-being for protecting her and keeping her alive._

Suddenly, he was jumped out of his thoughts. A sharp intake of air hit his ears and they twitched. Was it the wind? No, this air had a scream of pain travelling with it as well. He looked to the forest and knew: something had to be near the girl.

His eyes flashed and he dashed for that part of the forest.

* * * *

_At first, it was darkness and she had only her thoughts to console her. She had wondered where she was, what she was doing there, and more. There were no answers; at least there was no pain. Then, after a while, people began to show up in this darkness. They formed into the two people she never wanted to see again and they stood far away from the perfectly fine Kagome. She had no wounds, no blood, and no bruises; she was fine._

_Then, her friends appeared behind her. They were battered and bruised, cuts roaming up and down their bodies, but they stood, ready for some kind of battle. Kagome looked at her friends and asked: "What's going on?" and none of them answered. She knelt down at Shippo, who was hurt the most from the others and she asked again: "What's going on?" He looked at her and started to cry._

"_Kagome! You aren't hurt, are you?" She shook her head. As far as she knew, she was fine. "We're here to help!" And when he smiled, they disappeared. She looked around for her friends but found no traces as to their whereabouts. She was then standing before Inuyasha and Kikyo, who now suddenly had wounds on their bodies and were covered in blood, and noticed Inuyasha being held by a leash from Kikyo._

_A nice mental image, yes, for humor, but the way he stared at her. It was as if he was bloodthirsty. Kikyo then started to talk: "So, Kagome, are you well?" She was indifferent about Kagome's well-being before; why did she care? "I do not care, I merely asked a simple question," and Kagome nodded. I guess that was an acceptable answer._

_She spoke: "I am well, Kikyo. Where are we, exactly?" Kikyo felt Inuyasha writhe from her control and she pulled the leash. _

"_We, dear Kagome, are pigments of your imagination. A disguise from reality, it seems. Tell me: are you well?" Kagome looked at her again._

"_You have already asked me that, Kikyo," and Kikyo smiled. It wasn't an innocent smile, either. One full of malice and despise, to be precise. "Why are you asking me that again?" Kikyo loosened her grip on Inuyasha's leash. He did nothing._

"_I am merely wondering about your well-being. I have told you that already," she said. Kagome then did not trust her. "So are you well?" Kagome shook her head unconsciously. Why had she shaken her head? "That's a shame. I had almost believed you were well," and she let go of the leash. Kagome took a step back and Kikyo disappeared, along with the leash. It was only Inuyasha and her._

_Even in her "imagination" it was tense. Inuyasha smiled and bared his fangs. Such a peaceful danger, Kagome thought. "Why did you do it?" Kagome stared at the already terrifying Inuyasha in confusion. _

"_Do what?"_

"_Don't lie," he wasn't making any sense. Kagome shrugged and he growled before barking at her. Never had she seen him like this! "I'm not lying!" she screamed back and he leapt into the air. He was so quick when he was a demon!_

"_Sit!" she screamed, but he did nothing; his necklace was gone. He was still in the air and she was frozen in time. So close to her face and body, he almost had his claws scratch her face off when suddenly the wind came and she had to shut her eyes. When she opened them, she was faced with the field once more. Then, everything started to hit her at once. All the pain and suffering came back and she buckled to her knees._

_She had to, there was no way she could stand otherwise. She screamed and cried in agony as the birds in the forest started to fly away. It was so peaceful in the forest; why was she there? Blood formed below her and she continued to cry from the pain. It hurt. So much for peace, she thought. Her breathing became heavy. "Why are you injured, girl?" She knew that voice. She looked up and saw him._

_She couldn't reply, though; her voice was screaming and wincing from the pain. She held onto her one wound to keep the blood from escaping and shook her head. Not even he could make anything feel better. "Be as it may, you are not healing," and she nodded. She knew that much. She looked at him again and saw the red in his eyes. Not again! He dashed right up to her body and knelt beside her. It was like he took her breath away._

Kagome sharply gasped. All that pain! She began to cough and felt the wound on her side spasm in agony. How it felt so bad to just lie on the ground breathing! She rolled onto her side and noticed all the blood on the ground; she was sure her face was full of it now. She looked down at her body. Oh, how it looked atrocious and bruised! Black and blue spots covered her arms; scabs scratched her elbows and hands; dried blood crusted those wounds.

She started to look around. She was still in the forest, and it seemed she was alone. Of course, who would want to be near her? At least she survived the night. _It had been just a night, right?_ Kagome looked down at her stomach and saw the blood stain still growing, but it was slow compared to what had happened the night before. _It still hurts like hell,_ she thought and let one of her hands hold the wound. It started to pulse against her touch; she wondered if the rest of her body was like that.

_Who knows how many I have now, _she sighed. She rolled onto her back once more. She wanted to get up and run back to her hut, forget that this even happened, and go back to what life was. Of course, life wasn't always that simple and she could never have what she wanted; it was always hard. She sat upright but realized that wasn't the greatest idea. Suddenly, everything around her blurred and spun; she had to lay back down. On her back, she sighed and stared at the morning sky. Full of grey and depressing clouds, something was going to happen, but she shrugged it off. _Can't be any worse than what it is now._

She closed her eyes. She could only think about what Kikyo said to her back at the hut and whispered it again: "You are poorly trained and compared to other priestesses, you are nothing more than an apprentice." If she were trained, or perhaps had some kind of knowledge about her power, this would've never happened, right? _Maybe. _She heard the forest rustle, yet the wind was dead. She let her eyes open and was faced with four demons.

Her eyes widened. She felt a pole from a spear poke right into her wound. Her breath hitched and the demons lowered their faces. There was a kind of lust in their eyes, an unmistakable feeling in their hearts. _It can get much worse! _The leader of the demons pushed the little ones aside and stepped in the sunlight. He towered over her lanky body, creating an early shade.

"Ah, breakfast! Lovely specimen we have here, boys. She even has a treasure for eating the flesh off her bones: the Shikon Jewel and a priestess' power." The little ones came into view again and let their claws crack right in her face. She tightly closed her eyes and screamed; a gurgling scream was followed. She could feel one of the little demons to her side spill blood on her legs and she peeked through her right eye. The other eye opened and she just stared. _What?_

Sesshomaru looked at her with those red eyes again. "Troublesome girl," he growled.

**Technically it's Friday, and I updated. And I actually wrote this Thursday. BOOYA!**

**Uh, so, yeah. What a filler chapter again. I'M SORRY FOR THE FLASHBACK. I didn't mean to in the first place, but..I needed to get something to get Sango and Miroku back in the story. And that's what spawned. I REALLY wanted to do the time jump (the three day thing) so a flashback was necessary.**

**Is there anything else I need to say? Uh..I don't know. I don't think I'll make this story into a whole "SESSHOMARU WILL TRAIN KAGOME BECAUSE HE TOTALLY KNOWS PRIESTESS MOVES" deal, but we'll see what happens. I don't want to spoil anything else, though, because, well, I'm still writing and all.**

**And I totally wanted to write something for Inuyasha and Kikyo, but...I didn't want to go over 4000 words D8**

**So. Next chapter. I might have some questions answers. Who knows! (Then again, I have no idea where I'm going with this story. Haha, what a lame author I am!)**

**Thank you so much for the reviews and all the alerts and favorites! I love how you guys actually appreciate this story, even though I don't write that ... great compared to other authors on this site. But thanks for the love!**

**I don't know when I'll update next, because my next semester of college will be starting on Monday. Let's make the updating..day next Friday. That'll be a good day.**

**Remember, review and I will love you! And I'll update a lot faster, too! **

**Until next time!**

**TLS**


	7. Chapter 7 : Distressed Damsel

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**"Talking is written like this."**

**_Thoughts and dreams are written like this. (You'll figure it out. There are no flashbacks in this chapter.)_**

* * *

_Last time, on "Blossoms into Love..." _

_She just stared. _

_Sesshomaru looked at her with those red eyes again. "Troublesome girl," he growled._

* * *

It was quiet. All around there were eyes gazed upon the demon hoisted carelessly in the air by a hand sticking out through the chest. Blood was splashing against the green grass and gasps of air were heard by the little creature as it struggled to survive. It scratched at the hand but found it useless as the poison set deeper and deeper into its body. Then, there was a sudden growl that struck a nerve in everyone's heart.

Kagome and Sesshomaru locked eyes for a moment before the demon's body fell to the ground. Kagome's gaze followed the dead—it was screaming for mercy, but it would die soon enough—demon and listened to more of the demons scream in agony. Not to mention the blood fall around her or on her own body. Every drop she felt hit some part of her skin, she would close her eyes to listen to the demons fall to the ground.

One of the demons fell near her arm. She peeked out her left eye to see it crawling towards her. It got a hold of her own arm and scraped its claw against her skin; some peeled off her muscles. She wanted to scream in agony, but her voice only let out a small whimper. The scraping soon stopped and there was only Sesshomaru's hand holding her arm while the other hand threw the demon for others to enjoy their feast.

The main demon—Kagome thought of him as the pack leader—began to panic. "L-Lord Sesshomaru!" Kagome stared at Sesshomaru to see his eyes not falter in color. Just how many people knew him? Sure, he was a Lord from the Western Lands, and the chances of seeing him on his lands were slim. The demon showed signs of honor and respect, what most demons would do when a Lord was in their presence. Was this demon a disciple of another Lord?

She could hear the soft growls and intentional warning signs stir from Sesshomaru's chest while his fangs bore down against his lips. His claws bore down into the dirt and allowed some of his poison to kill the life underneath him. Yes, this was when Kagome started to fear him. "M-My apologies to you, my Lord! I did not know this human was a ward of yours!" the demon cried.

On the contrary, this was strictly business according to Sesshomaru. He was devout when it came to those that he saved (or, in Rin's case, wanted to save) and did not fail when those around needed him. He quickly glanced at Kagome, who was breathing heavily and sweating under the pressure of demons wanting to perhaps hurt her, and growled. Was he striking fear into her mind? He tried to scramble any thought together, but his beast was in control. His head then snapped to the pack leader and quickly faced the demon himself.

Kagome never saw him move! She only felt the cold hand of Sesshomaru leave her presence—almost in slow-motion—and leave no trace behind. She had to admit he was fast, there was no doubt about that. There now was unrest in the forest as she could only hear the cries of the demon and the roars from Sesshomaru.

The demon, much shorter than the tall and mighty Sesshomaru, could only stare into the red eyes of death. The golden hues from his eyes were fading from the blood red color taking over; his fangs grinded against the white teeth set inside his mouth; cracking of knuckles seemed to bring a shiver down his own spine. Hell, Kagome couldn't see his face and she was afraid of him!

The leader, who was quivering in fear from the wrath of Sesshomaru, bowed in mercy. Sesshomaru did not take note to the pathetic excuse of salvation and stared at the demon in silence. He simply was going on about sparing his life and begging for something to change Sesshomaru's mind about killing him. His beast had not cared in the slightest and quickly made its mind up when it came to a decision.

Kagome sat up against the tree watching the scene unfold. It was over in a matter of seconds, but the way Sesshomaru sliced through the demon was like a sharp butcher knife cutting through paper. The pieces of the demon fell in opposite directions and the almost purple blood quickly created a large puddle surrounding Sesshomaru. Yes, this was the Sesshomaru she knew.

The last cries of the demon soon faded and Sesshomaru stood over the rotting body. The blood on his hands was evidence enough he did not care for the demon. As much as he despised killing demons with his bare hands, he would've found it much easier if he actually used his Bakusaiga right in the beginning. He could feel his beast seem to calm bit by bit staring down at the corpse, but it was still very much in control.

He closed his eyes and stood there for merely a moment. His beast was enraged and alive from just those weak demons. Breathing aside, he was starting to become normal again and turned to the one he saved once more. She was staring at him with possibly fear in her eyes and holding onto the fresh new wound now created by one of those demons. From a moment's glance, it would appear she were not in pain. But, if one stared long enough, it was written all over her face.

She had not known what to do at that point. It was obvious that he was there to protect her, but how much of her trust should she use for him? After all, he tried to kill her on separate occasions before; what was stopping him now? He was just standing there, though, staring at her with the pink eyes and fading green claws trying to examine her well-being. He did not move; he was a statue.

Then, a rush of wind, followed by an entity knelt beside her. His face was close to hers—it was not terribly close, maybe a foot apart—and his eyes bore into her own. She gasped and suddenly felt the forest spin once again. His gaze snapped down to her stomach and he grazed the wound with his fingers. "Your wound," he whispered, "has not properly healed."

He looked back at Kagome and found her falling unconscious again. The blood had started to come out once more because of the spear touching it earlier. She felt the pressure of Sesshomaru's palm push down on her open wound and winced at the pain. The last known picture she saw of Sesshomaru was him with pink eyes staring at her wound with blood seeping out. The last thing she felt was him scratching around her wound, as if trying to calm something. Everything else went black.

* * * *

"Master Jaken!" Rin's toothy grin shone over at the green imp and she held out a piece of meat. "Are you not hungry?" He swung his Staff of Two Heads around to the girl and, almost hitting her, caused her to back away from him. Yes, he was agitated to say the least. He did not believe in his right mind that he would be caring for a human girl! Especially one that annoying.

He stood up and started to squawk. "Nonsense, Rin! We demons do not eat your worthless food!" Rin shook her head and ran up to Jaken.

"But, Master Jaken! Lord Sesshomaru has some when I offer him anything!" Jaken shook his head. It was preposterous for someone to say anything of that matter, especially when it came to his Lord. He would never have any kind of human food! Rin took another bite of the meat and handed him some. "It's not poisonous, Master Jaken. Here, have some!" His stomach growled and he cursed his body.

Taking the meat from the girl, he took a bite for her and found it to be rather tasty for human food. It wasn't like he would tell her that, but if it made her happy and not complain to his Lord for what he did or did not do, it at least had him live another day. And, for that, he could only smile.

It would not last, however, as a band of pig demons surrounded the two. Rin was sitting next to Jaken and tightly held onto the meat. Jaken rose from his position and swung his staff in front of their faces. They could only laugh at the little imp and smacked the wooden staff away. Rin could feel some of the demons creep behind her and touch her on the back and she screamed. She crawled away from them a little bit, but felt one of them grab her ankle.

"Look at 'is, Master! Seems to me we have a li'l girl actually eating with another demon!" The rest of the pigs laughed at the situation and closed the circle more. One of the demons easily picked Jaken up and brought him to eye level. He examined the green imp for a minute before showing him off to the rest of the group.

"Oi! If I am not mistak'n, 'is appears to be Lord Jaken!" The other demons were very interested at this discovery and all of them began to loudly laugh, "What got you 'is job, _Lord_ Jaken?" Jaken began to squirm around in the demon's grasp and started to yell at the demon.

"That is none of your business, weakling! I order you to release me and my ward!" The pig leader, who stood next to Jaken and his captor, shook his head in disgust and leaned towards the green imp.

He was very different from the rest of the pigs. He was tall, had more hair on the top of his head, actually carried weapons around his waist, and had more weight than the rest. Not to mention he was the only dark brown pig while the others were a much lighter brown. His voice was deeper, too: "Now, we can't do 'at, _Lord_ Jaken. After all, it is our lunchtime." The pig threw Jaken down to the ground—he immediately was dazed after the collision—and Rin crawled to his side. She did not mind her wounds on her ankle; she wanted to see her Master well again.

"Master Jaken, please wake up!" She shook him and caused even more of a daze for poor Jaken. The pigs around tightened the circle again and the leader started to speak once more.

"Now, now, li'l ones, we have a bit o' a problem: they are not enough for our stomachs to be satisfied!" The demons started to grumble and Rin continued to shake Jaken awake (it was useless). The leader continued. "Do not fear, li'l ones. We'll have 'is as a snack." All the pigs smiled and looked down at the two helpless creatures. Rin placed Jaken on the ground and protected him with her body as she felt one of the demons touch her back once more. He did make a scratch, but the presence of a demon quickly left.

It was replaced with another, and all the demons around either bowed in respect or snarled in anger. Sesshomaru stood within the circle and stood over his wards. Not to mention the scratch he noticed on Rin's back. His eyes did not change color. Instead, he unsheathed his sword and stared at the leader of the pack. The pig leader guffawed and took his own sword out. Sesshomaru just stared.

It was silent soon after.

* * * *

Thoughts raced through his mind as he casually looked at her wound. Blood continued to leave her body—it was not as much as before, but it was still enough to make her pass out. He knew she would not survive the day without proper nutrition to save her, however his beast considered otherwise. It did not want to save her. Rather, make her live peacefully in the afterlife without the worries of pain and misfortune.

He knew he was scratching her skin. He could feel his beast surge through his veins as he raced to make a decision on the girl practically bleeding to death. No, she would not die; there was no reason for her to die. _There are numerous reasons to cause pain to her body, but there are no reasons to extinguish this life,_ he concluded. His beast was not happy, but it quickly left when he heard a familiar scream: _Rin._

He did not know how much longer he could keep that up—going between two groups to save lives. He was not a protector nor was he a hero; he was a warrior, that was all. He dashed through the forest dodging all the trees that surrounded him before coming up on the band of demons terrorizing his original group. He noticed one trying to grab at Rin and he quickly sliced through the pig as if he were a tree.

The band of demons were both respectful of their Lord and disgusted at their Lord: how could he interrupt on their snacking? Sesshomaru paid little to no attention to the demons and watched as the leader took a sword out to defend his honor. As the pig was laughing, Sesshomaru wasted no time and brought retribution to him; there were no laughs to be sung after that.

The demons' bodies laid around the group. Rin shielded her eyes so she would not witness the killings while Jaken slowly came to from the fight. Sesshomaru made sure the blood would not spill on his wards—although it was difficult, to say the least—and sheathed his Bakusaiga once more. It was a quick fight, one that required little to no wit when it came to the pigs, and turned to his wards. Rin applauded him like always and Jaken slowly applauded him for his work.

Sesshomaru was perplexed, on the other hand. His beast did not care like his instincts did for Rin; why was it showing interest in the girl? Was it _that_ bloodthirsty for a weak priestess? A faint gasp of air entered his ears; his eyes flashed red and his beast emerged. What was it trying to tell him? To kill her? _Why must she be sacrificed? _He casually looked to the forest again and spoke to Jaken.

"Jaken," he said. Jaken immediately came to his senses and stood by his Lord. Sesshomaru would not be running back and forth between groups again; he needed everyone in one place. "Let Ah-Un take you into the forest alongside me. I will see to it that you two will be safe," and away he dashed once more. Jaken squawked at his Lord, but already heard Rin talking to him.

"Master Jaken, we must do what Lord Sesshomaru tells us! Hurry before we are left behind!" Jaken grumbled and sighed, complying to the young girl's wishes. Whatever seemed to perk Sesshomaru's inner-demon made him run like a bat out of hell.

* * * *

"_I thought you loved me, Inuyasha!" cried Kagome. She was surrounded by darkness and all in front of her were memories of her and Inuyasha. They varied, from confessions under the moonlight to assurance under the bright sun. He, above all, was standing in front of these memories looking at them, as if he were in the dream with her. He did nothing and she continued to yell. "You lied to me this whole time!" She could feel her heart breaking into a million pieces, shattering in her chest. But he still did nothing._

_There were tears shed in these memories, smiles shone, and thoughts contemplated. He understood her feelings all along looking at these precious times (some not so precious as well) and could feel her point of view for it all. "Why, why did you go back to her!" He had no answer. Kagome continued to cry and repeat those words like a broken record; she wanted to drill them into his mind._

"_Tell me!" She cried. He couldn't._

"_Why did you do this!" He didn't know._

"_Please, answer me!" He wouldn't. Instead, he faded away into the darkness and Kagome was left with the memories and the image of her broken heart next to her, sprawled out on the empty floor. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she was left there to listen to the voices from the past. She knew they were all lies and it hurt to realize the undeniable truth; it was a way of life. _

_The memories started to fade one by one and a new shadow appeared before the memories. They were painful ones, those full of death and threats made by one of her "enemies"—they weren't necessarily her enemy, but she did, after all, help Inuyasha. She started to hear new voices enter the void and new phrases come along. She opened her eyes from the ground she knelt upon and stared at the memories with this shadow._

_They all involved Sesshomaru. They were not pleasant, as most of her memories with him were; she noticed the first time they met and the times she had to save Inuyasha. The tears stopped falling and she continued to be fascinated at the memories before her. Two new ones appeared at the very end, when she witnessed his protection and his demon like never before. He turned to her with those amber-golden eyes and brought a new world before them._

_They were near a waterfall. The pieces of her heart were planted in the ground and bloomed as little daisies around the sparkling water. Her tears were wiped away by the wind yet Sesshomaru continued to stand there, staring at the waterfall. Kagome did not understand. "Why are you here, exactly?" Sesshomaru coldly replied:_

"_You were on my lands with that half-breed. I do not appreciate idiocy when I am nearby," and she nodded. Of course, that was his reason in reality, but what about the dream?_

"_No, I mean the dream. Why exactly are you here?" _

_Sesshomaru looked over at her with his eyes and did not make any expression; he was still as cold as ever. "That, girl, I do not know. Perhaps you need comfort in another that does not care. Or, perhaps, you assumed I hated my brother just as you do, along with the dead woman he carries around. All the more reason to include me in this passive world," Kagome just sat in the flowers staring at him. He sure had a way with words._

"_But," she started. Sesshomaru noticed the confusion when she looked down to the flowers. "isn't that true? You do hate him, don't you?" _

_Sesshomaru carefully nodded and replied: "I despise him more than any other demon on this planet." He leapt across the river separating them and knelt before Kagome. She tensed up and feared for her life. "Yet, you loved him. You could not possibly have as much hatred as I have when I, myself, have never loved him in the first place," Kagome looked up and saw anger seeping into his eyes. He really did hate him. "As for the woman," he continued, "all dead creatures should never walk the earth again." She nodded and looked back to the ground. _

"_So, if I am right about your hatred," she whispered, "why are you really here?" The waterfall, their surroundings, everything disappeared. They were back to square one, with the memories in front of Sesshomaru, who was now standing once more, and Kagome found a piece of her heart mending with another. A tiny fragment, but all the more reason that her heart seemed to be healing—whether it was would be a mystery. He turned to her and replied:_

"_To protect you from death by a half-breed," and she looked up at him. The memories all changed. It was not him killing her, but she noticed the little details where she was almost killed because of Inuyasha. Sesshomaru disappeared from her darkness and the memories continued to play. She began to cry and felt the air around her leave. She was going to suffocate?_

She gasped for air as she opened her eyes. The sky was blending and melding into a red-orange color and the clouds were the color of a miasma: purple. Kagome grunted at the pain set by her side but she could now move about. She groaned and rested her head down on the ground to let the pain subside before moving again. She figured she lost some blood in order for her to pass out again, but how much was she losing? Surely she had to eat _something_ in the forest, right?

_Maybe I'll just starve so no one has to worry about me anymore,_ and she continued to look up to the sky. Yes, she could be in Heaven any minute from these wounds, especially with the lack of medicine for them. She raised her head to look at her left side to find a massive blood stain on her uniform, both wet and dry from the days on the forest floor. _Or maybe I just won't leave this spot until I can move again, _she thought. That was another possibility.

She looked around the forest. There was no sign of Sesshomaru anywhere. Did he leave her again? _Oh great, now I have to fend for myself again. _She sighed and let her head rest back on the forest floor. Then, she felt a hand graze her right arm and she immediately looked to that direction. It was a familiar face, a friend that she hadn't seen for the longest time. "Kagome?" Immediately after he spoke, he was lifted off the ground and held up by Sesshomaru's hand. He was then dropped away from Kagome and he stared at her.

She wanted to yell at him, but the way he looked down at her with the angered eyes made her not want to say anything. He knelt before her and asked: "Are you well?" and her eyes widened. Of course, she was not well! Inuyasha broke her heart, Kikyo almost killed her, not to mention the demons wanting to kill her just hours ago, and now this? She shook her head. She grabbed his arm and he snapped. "Do not test me, girl," he snarled. She shook her head and whispered,

"He did nothing wrong," and she looked over to the body on the ground. Sesshomaru felt his beast calm again and jumped into the tree above Kagome. He did not trust anyone, especially her group she trudged around with, but if she trusted him, then she was in no danger at the moment. He needed to trust them, too, no matter how hard it would be. He saw her sit against the tree while talking to her "friend" and he fought to subdue his beast inside. Just what was it about her that made it so..._irate?_

* * * *

"Inuyasha?" a woman's voice entered the hut. Inuyasha was sitting next to the burning food prepared for dinner. He looked up at her and his ears drooped. Every time he saw her, he felt so ashamed that he did such a thing to another woman. His beast got the best of him. She knelt down next to him and smiled.

"Yea, Kikyo?" He took a bite out of the food and began to chew. He didn't know what she was up to, but he was going to eat anyway; he was hungry, after all! Kikyo reached out and held his hands while he stared into her eyes. Something was stirring, and he didn't know what. He would soon find out.

"I believe we should pay a visit to Kagome. Perhaps she would be willing to hand over the Sacred Jewel after all," and Inuyasha frowned. Of all the things Kikyo wanted to do, she wanted to torment the girl? But, he could never go against Kikyo; he loved her too much. He swallowed the bit of food and reluctantly nodded.

"We'll set out tomorrow then." She smiled and leaned against the hut's wall. Yes, it would be just a matter of time.

**Well, I lied: I didn't update on Friday like I promised. I AM SO SORRY!**

**ANYWAYYYYY. Like I said before, I just started up college again, so don't expect TOO many updates from here until May. Don't worry I'll still update the story. I won't abandon it like I usually do with my chaptered stories at some point Dx Whoops. Just know that if I say an update..day, give me a week until you bombard me with messages. I got this out in four days after Friday so..it wasn't like you waited a long time or anything. I'll try to update next Wednesday, but..no promises. Remember that!**

**Hm, I want to tell you this: no, that was not romance between Kagome and Sesshomaru. I'll get into the Beast stuff in the next two chapters. AND! They'll leave the forest! I PROMISEEEE! ****Plus, characters that have not been introduced in this story will be. Just wait and see!**

**Uh, does anyone else feel like Kagome is always being threatened by demons? There's a reason, and if you've figured it out..you are pretty good at mysteries 8D It's right at the end of the chapter here, so..that's a hint. And who do you think is by her side?! I have two people in mind (oh, I think you'd know) and have two different story plots to go along with those people. Hm. I wonder which one I'll choose..**

**I would love to reply to reviews! LET'S GO! 8D**

**Jill L: I hope you meant "read" instead of "wrote" about "Enslaved" because I've never written anything like that xD But, yes, I have read that before. A great fanfic, I must say. Thank you for the great review! I'm glad you enjoyed the flashbacks (I certainly do not, and yet I included it..) and I do not mind that you write a lot to me! I love reading all my reviews, so say whatever you need to say! 8)  
KatiechanXoxoXSesshoukun: Why, thank you for the love! 8D I'm glad you love the story!  
Jill L (again!): 8D Thanks! I've gotten a lot of comments in previous stories about how I go too much in the details 8/ I've also been told that my story will not be as popular as other fanfics because of how much time I put into my story. Hmmmmmmm that sucks! But, with faithful readers like yourself, it's fine by me! Besides, with details, I try to make the story..interesting? xD I don't know. But thank you for the review! I promise Kagome will be awake the rest of the story (for now, at least ;D) and will put as many details as I can before I cannot!  
Mesuki: If you don't mind, I'd love to just reply to all three reviews at one time. That way I don't have to get confused or anything 8) (Your chapter 4 review:) I was in your shoes before, with the whole "Sesshomaru and Kagome" pairing. I hateeeeed the people that wrote such stories! It wasn't meant to be for those two! I read a fanfic one day (it's been deleted, which is sad, because I've always wanted to re-read that story!) and fell in love. Oh my gosh, it made me love the pairing to the point where I want her and him together instead of her and Inuyasha all the time xD Whoops!  
(Your chapter 5 review:) Haha I could've totally had him attack her for no reason. There are just reasons for that any day ;) I'm glad you love the story! I have so many days when I look at my story compared to others that I read on here and think: "Wow, I must suck compared to these authors." But! I guess we all have different styles, and I'm not the one to just write a story with less than 1500 words :/ I need my details! With the whole emotion thing..I try to think about what they would feel, or what they would look like if they were happy or sad or junk, and then try to do the same while writing. I'll admit, for some of my stories, I've cried with my characters. It gets deep! And it is not a problem that you write such a fantastic review! I love reading them, so no harm done here! Besides, you get the longest reply, so you get to feel special love from me 8)  
(Your chapter 6 review:) I'm surprised someone could be impressed by this! I have no idea what I'm doing chapter to chapter, but somehow I find a way to pull it all together xD Hope you don't mind that (I like to surprise myself too, once in a while) but that's how I do things here. You know, I've gotten so much appreciation from the flashbacks..I thought they were pretty weak compared to others I have done! But, if you guys insist that they're great..I guess I'll try to incorporate some when necessary. Oh, I read each and every review that comes my way and I make sure I reply to each one. If you show love, I'll show love back. If you show hate, I'll appreciate the criticism all the more! My way of saying thank you, I suppose. But it is not a problem if you cannot review each chapter that comes along. Thank you for the lovely review and thank you so much for all the love! Glad to know someone appreciates my work! 8)**

**Do you have something to say to me? Would you like to suggest something? Then please Review! I reply to each and every review that comes my way (if it's not in the next chapter, it's always in the next after that) and I would love to hear either some love for this story or hate! Criticism is always welcomed and I'm not afraid to take some critiques from my lovely, lovely readers.**

**I do hope you enjoyed this chapter (eh, I'm mixed about it) and do review! It'll make me write faster!**

**Until next time!**

**TLS**


	8. Chapter 8 : Refusing Orders

**DISCLAIMER!: I don't own Inuyasha.**

* * *

_Last time, on Blossoms into Love..._

_Just what was it about her that made it so...__irate?_

_

* * *

_

There was no rationale reasoning why his beast was acting up like that. He stared down at the girl and felt his beast fuming even at the sight of her. What was the problem? The girl had not done anything provocative lately, nor had she disrespected him since she woke up. His beast was bloodthirsty for something, but he could not figure it out. All he heard in his mind was:

"Blood. Jewel. Light. Pure. Terror. Danger. Threat. Kill. Girl. Priestess. Life. Death. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine" and repeated that one word continuously. He tried to think about Rin and see if anything would change; it was silent. When he looked at the girl, it would flare up again. It was like it was looking at her with red in its eyes all the time and wanted something from her.

But _what_? There was no reason for his beast to act like that. It did not act up when they first met (although the mere thought about their first meeting angers him still) and it certainly did not have any problem when they met again in future events. Then again, his memory was not the greatest, and his beast is the cause of that.

On the outside, it seemed as if Sesshomaru was normal, calm and collected. Inside, though, he was on a rampage. His heart was beating a little faster than normal—humans would not notice—and his insides felt like they were churning. _A rather caution to those weaker than I, but this is an inconvenience,_ he thought before looking down at the girl.

Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru—almost struggling about something—and sighed. He had been in that tree the whole time she came to and had yet to come down for anything. His presence was overwhelming—almost a King making sure his denizens were safe—and she had not known how to speak to him. A familiar voice rang through her ears: "What's wrong, Kagome?" she looked at her chest.

She didn't know how long Shippo was actually there before she woke up, but he told her that he never left her side since he found her. When she first saw him, it was relief all over her face. She had not seen any of her friends recently and to see her little "son" was enough to make her smile.

She rubbed his head and smiled. "Oh, nothing's wrong, Shippo. Just Sesshomaru being his usual, cold self. I kind of don't understand why he doesn't just leave. After all, we've been here for two days straight since I last woke up and my wound is healing at a decent rate," She looked down at her stomach; it looked a little red, probably from a minor infection, but it didn't bleed every time she moved. She could even walk!

It was hard to walk in the new outfit she was forced to put on, though. Instead of her old school uniform, she confided in traditional clothes that actually belonged to that era. Maybe now will not too many wanderers see her as the strange priestess that walks across the land. _That'd be nice,_ she sighed.

Shippo shrugged. "Maybe it's a friendly instinct!" He smiled. She thought that at some point since being awake, but since her dream, something told her that it was something else. She looked over at Rin, who was collecting berries for Kagome to eat, and frowned. Since she woke up, she had to see Rin traumatized about how injured and disturbing she looked on the ground almost to the point of death.

She had yet to actually come near Kagome since then—she only came by with food—and actually talk to her about what had happened. There is only a pained expression on her face every time she gets near Kagome and then runs off in fear. Maybe Rin thought of her as a bad omen. Jaken was the same way, too, only he was most likely used to something like that than poor Rin.

Kagome thought about it for a moment. She looked back up at Sesshomaru. How many humans had he killed in his life? Was there enough to make him restless or that cold-hearted? She could not imagine the killings he had done to those guilty or innocent. Her eyes met with his and grew anxious at the sight of those eyes again. Something about them scared her half to death and she didn't want to know why.

_Something concerns the girl,_ he thought. His fingers started to twitch; was this his beast's way to tell him something? He looked away from the girl and stared at the now green nails. Something was threatening his beast, his inner pride, but he did not know what. He looked back down at Kagome. _What is it that worries her?_

Kagome stretched against the tree. Shippo jumped in her lap and she looked at him with confusion. "Let's go find a spring, Kagome! I'm sure you haven't had a proper bath since the incident," he said. She thought again. Yes, it had been a while since she had some kind of water hit her skin and actually wash everything off; her skin did feel disgusting, too. She knew it would be dangerous, of course, to wander the forest for a spring, but heck, she was willing to take the risk again.

Before she could answer, Sesshomaru objected. "You may not leave my grounds, girl," he stated. She looked up at Sesshomaru and grunted. He let his eyebrow rise, intrigued at the attitude the girl had towards him. "Do you question me, girl?" Shippo fell off her lap as she struggled to rise from "his grounds" and leaned against the tree.

"You cannot keep me here, Sesshomaru. I do have to bathe and clean my wounds, after all," and she began to walk in a direction. The nearest spring, from what he knew, was yards away, and she was going to one of the farther springs.

Sesshomaru leaned away from the tree and felt his beast become irritated again. Was it her continuous ability to refuse orders? "Besides, Sesshomaru," she looked back up at him before moving on, "you are not the boss of me," she turned around and started to limp away, with the little fox demon by her side just in case. His eyes flashed red. His beast flared up again: "Refusal. Kill. Blood. Girl. Priestess. Protect. Mine. Mine. Mine" and he leapt from the tree.

A few seconds later, Kagome was grabbed by Sesshomaru's mighty hand and pulled back into the field she was familiar with since the incident. She stumbled a bit but remained composure against Sesshomaru. He did not turn around to look at her, but she could hear the growls. She fumed and turned the other way. "Fine! I'll just go back to the village!" She began to walk again until his hand was on her arm again. She turned to face him but was immediately pushed into the tree.

Shippo was the first to cry out. "Hey! Let her go!" and started to bite at his leg. It did nothing. Rin was next. "Lord Sesshomaru! She is still healing!" Then, finally, Jaken. "L-Lord Sesshomaru!"

Kagome, who was pissed about how he was acting, looked at him with questions spreading like wildfire in her mind. He had those red eyes and she could feel his claws piercing her arms. It was not as painful as her other wounds, but it was a distraction, maybe. Her leaving made him _this _upset? _That can't be._

She whispered: "Are you transforming?" and he loosened his grip. His beast started to back off and he began to get control back on his senses. He saw her right in front of his face, frightened at the sight she witnessed. Her aura changed from a strong one to a weak one from what he had done. She was trembling a bit from maybe the pain he caused. He backed away from her and jumped back in the trees.

She stood there for a moment before looking for him; he was gone. She did not know what just happened—she didn't want to really know, either—but it made her heart race. Shippo ran up to her and started to ask if she was okay. She looked at a certain part of the forest and decided to walk towards it. Shippo followed. She didn't know where it would take her, but something was calling her.

With each step brought new pain in her wound on her side, but it did not stop her. Maybe she was looking for the spring, or maybe Sesshomaru himself. Shippo was asking the same thing, but she didn't hear him. Something made her mind blank and she wanted to know why. At the same time, Shippo noticed something in the distance.

It was blurred by the shade in the trees but it was something. He tugged on Kagome's sock and she looked down. He pointed in a direction and said: "Look, there's someone over there!" She looked in the direction and noticed something. It was a bow and arrow. Her eyes widened when a pink light emitted from that area. She ducked and felt an arrow brush against her back and hit a tree. A small scream escaped her mouth.

Everything moved after that.

* * * *

The group sat near a cluster of trees to rest. Sango and Miroku were on one side while Kikyo and Inuyasha were on another. Sango occasionally asked: "Why are we out here again?" and Inuyasha would always reply: "There's some disturbance that the damn villagers are complainin' about, so Kikyo wanted to take care of it." Sango couldn't argue and went back to conversing with Miroku.

They would come up with their own assumptions. Was it for the jewel? Certainly, Kikyo had her reasons for the jewel (along with Kagome's life) for the most part, and Inuyasha had his reasons, as well. Was it _just_ for the jewel, though? Sango leaned against Miroku, mainly for support, and sighed. "What if we come across Kagome out here?" Miroku rested his head on hers and frowned.

It would make things complicated, that was obvious. Inuyasha and Kikyo would try their best to make Kagome's life a living hell, if they could get their hands on her for a few minutes more. "I don't know, dear Sango. We can only hope that we do not get close to her," and she nodded. It would be grand if Kagome was never hurt by them again.

Kikyo, on the other hand, stood next to Inuyasha, who was skeptical about the whole situation, and scanned the forest. Kagome was on the move. Sure, they could just go right to her and take care of the unfinished business, but the other two _members _would cause trouble. Instead, Kikyo knew she was getting closer and closer by the minute, and it would be a matter of time until they would meet again.

Inuyasha could smell her scent. It wasn't the lovely smell he was used to; it was battered, bruised, bleeding, bloody, broken. Everything he could think of, she was that. Kikyo spoke before his thoughts continued: "She is nearing us," Yes, it was true: Kagome was getting closer to the group. Sango and Miroku heard this and answered:  
"She?" Kikyo turned to the two and nodded. She knew how to lie, that was sure. "Yes, she. We are dealing with what feels like a witch." Miroku had not encountered a witch in years, but he was willing to fight against it. Kikyo pulled an arrow out of her quiver and equipped her bow. She felt the area where Kagome was and fired. A few seconds later, she heard the arrow hit a tree and a small scream emit. She smirked. Inuyasha bent over and allowed Kikyo to climb aboard; Kirara, however, refused to transform. She knew better.

Sango yelled: "Kirara! Transform!" She growled. If only she could talk! Miroku started to run and Sango grabbed Kirara. She stared into her companions' eyes and whispered: "What's wrong?" Kirara growled and cried at the same time and it was painful for Sango to hear. Something was wrong.

But she ran off with the group anyway. She saw Miroku a few feet away, followed by Inuyasha and Kikyo not that far off in the distance, and noticed something close. Kirara hopped on her shoulder and cried again. Miroku started to slow down and his face was frightened. Sango caught up to him and asked, "What's wrong?" she looked in the direction and her eyes widened. They were never after a witch: they were after their friends. And instead of protecting her, they were attacking her.

Inuyasha and Kikyo inched closer to Kagome. Shippo stood in the way. "Leave her alone!" Kagome's eyes widened and her body started to tremble. Yes, this was fear. Her heart began to beat faster and faster against her chest and Kikyo smiled. She held out her hand.

"All we want is the jewel," and the jewel began to emit a strong pink glow.

* * * *  
Sesshomaru killed anything in his path. He wanted to leave something behind to make sure his beast would calm again. It would not. It was on a mission, it seemed, and he continued to kill everything that moved. Except humans; somehow, his beast stopped him and let them escape before destroying those weak demons he would come across.

One little girl almost crossed his path moments ago. She screamed, just like Rin, and his beast was able to stop before making contact with her chest. Sesshomaru growled loud enough to scare the girl half to death before she ran away. He went on a rampage, killing more and more demons and cutting down trees of his own land. What was wrong with him?

One after another, demons came through the forest only to meet their end. Nothing was working for his beast! What did he have to do? _There is something sparking it from within; there must be an antidote,_ he thought.

Another demon came from the trees. "Lord Sesshomaru. Are you possibly sending a message to other lords in the area?" Sesshomaru knew this voice. He turned to the trees and dashed to the demon. Soon enough, his hand was wrapped around her neck and he was hearing his beast saying: "Stop. Stop. Woman." He blinked and felt his beast give control back to him once again; he was staring into the eyes of one that intrigued him in the slightest.

She held onto her neck and felt the restricting bind ease away. "Still as defiant as ever, Sesshomaru," he looked back at her and growled. "Calm yourself, I'm not here to fight you. I know better than that," she whispered the last part.

"Then what is it you need, Kagura?" She fanned her weapon and leaned against the tree. He took to the ground and stared in order not to attack her. "If there is some reason, it'd be best for you to spit it out of your poisonous mouth," he growled. She sighed and began to fan herself.

"I smelt the girl nearby, with the jewel," Sesshomaru's head snapped up towards Kagura, "and thought about trying to take her life in the process. Then I felt your aura near her," his hands started to twitch; his beast was in a frenzy. "So I decided to follow your scent. Might I say, Sesshomaru," she snapped her fan shut, "you smell like her." His beast was chaotic. "Tell me, Sesshomaru, do you not find the smell appalling? Perhaps a filthy dog," he bore his fangs, and Kagura smiled, "deserves to dig around trash every now and again." He snapped.

He howled. He had not done something like that in a long while, but when he howled, his beast wanted more. It _needed_ more. He looked at her with the blood red eyes with death written all over them; he did not care if he killed her now. She smirked and caused her fan to open once more. "Looks like I have done my business, Sesshomaru. You might want to figure out your beast troubles before I come back," and with the sharp wind blowing through the trees, she was flying through the air once more.

Had _she_ even known about his transformation? Surely, the girl had known for witnessing it years ago, but now Kagura? Was he that vulnerable for an attack on his pride? His beast started to calm down, letting Sesshomaru collect his thoughts. What was going on inside that made him like this on the outside? His nose twitched; he was out of his thoughts almost instantaneously. His claws twitched; the beast within was back. His ears twitched; a scream echoed through the forest.

He knew this scream. It was not familiar, nor had he caused her to scream like this yet, but he knew it from the girl. He looked in that direction. She was well enough to defend herself; the other humans there were by her side. But why. Why was his beast fascinated? "Go. Run. Girl. Kill." His legs were not his to control; he was soon dodging trees left and right.

_This forest, it will not be good for the near future,_ was his last controlled thought.

**Yes. YES! They are FINALLY going to leave the forest! ..in the next chapter. SORRY! Dx**

**SHORT CHAPTER! 8D WOO!**

**Would you look at that. I actually updated on time. IMAGINE THAT. I'll try to update next Thursday. Don't bet on it, but I'll definitely try for all of you! 8)**

**So, uh, this was an emotional chapter. What will happen to Kagome? Sesshomaru? SHIPPO!? WHO KNOWS! (Well, I know, but you don't! 8D) I guess this could be a filler chapter, but I actually went through my vow of pushing the plot a bit. So I had to skip a few scenes. **

**First, who called the person being Shippo? The other person...well, they'll have another task in the near future too 8) Second, I originally wanted Kagome to be found in a spring, but who would want to see a nude, wounded Kagome? That's not pretty 8X**

**I think that's all I have to say...for now at least. I don't have that much for this chapter. It's pretty self-explanatory. OH! Actually, the beast! The beast will play a critical role in this story. Just pay attention to that AND Kagura. I want to see if you notice anything. **

**ONE MORE THING! I know last chapter I wanted Kikyo and Inuyasha to leave ... technically a day before this chapter. NO! I changed my mind xD Maybe I'll revisit that in the next chapter. ...Yeah.**

**NOW I'm done. Thank you so much for all the love/hate and all the reviews/messages! They bring a smile to my face and I always want to write more just from reading these!**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter (probably my favorite so far) and I hope you all review!**

**Until next time!**


	9. Chapter 9 : Dashing Strides

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**SIDE NOTES!**

**"Talking is written like this."**

**_Thoughts are written like this. _**

**Note: There are no dreams or flashbacks in this chapter.**

* * *

_Last time, on "Blossoms into Love"..._

_A small scream escaped her mouth; h__e was soon dodging trees left and right._

_'This forest, it will not be good for the near future,' was his last controlled thought._

* * *

Everything in the forest was still. No sounds passed through the trees, no birds flew to the sky, and no creatures came from behind the trees. Humans relaxed when the blast of wind flew past their bodies and weaker demons stayed as still as possible to perhaps not be cut down from the wind's power. Yes, everything seemed to be settled in the forest, except those that knew about the dangers coming.

He ran. He had not known how long he had been running. How long would it be until he would reach her? He didn't know, he just kept running. Instead of tiring from so much energy being wasted for her, there was a burst of life from his beast that kept him going. What was it after, exactly? He tried to stop running to the humans in the forest, but there was an external force pushing him to the group; it was familiar.

It did not matter at the time. The one he was aiming to protect until her wounds healed was in danger _yet again_. He never felt this way with Rin. When she is in danger, he would merely let the demons talk their way through death and slice them in half. With this girl, he could not describe it; his beast took over and felt something tugging at his soul. _Impudence_, his beast thought before continuing.

It was silent in the forest. No thoughts ran through Sesshomaru's mind for long periods of time, no late tunes from the birds whistled in the air, and no more screams came from that general direction of the forest. The only thing he could make out in the distance was the girl on the ground being protected by her friends from _them_. They dare step onto his lands again, alive?

He ran faster. His beast was furious. He could only pick out a few words from her friends: "Inuyasha, can't you see?", "Leave her alone!", and "Must we always fight for what is mine?" came through his ears. Sesshomaru loudly growled; it was not hers. It was never hers, it was always the others' jewel. It was _hers_, not theirs. His beast leapt into the trees and jumped from branch to branch, always looking down onto the group. They were being attacked; his beast instinctively grabbed what was heading for them. Before he landed with them, his beast said: "Mine."

* * * *

Kagome looked down at the jewel that rested on her chest. The pink glow almost blinded her own eyesight! She let her hand lay across her chest and pressed against the jewel; the light disappeared. Kikyo stared down at Kagome; was it rejecting its previous owner? "We know you cannot handle the jewel's power, nor can you purify it once it becomes damaged. Must we fight for what is mine?" Kagome let her hand move away from the jewel and stared at it.

It was the only _happy_ memory she had that stood for Inuyasha. For three long years, she had been by his side, collecting jewel shard after jewel shard. And now she was about to have it taken away by someone that did nothing to help? Not to mention she actually turned against the group those years ago.

Kagome was not happy that she was stuck with this job collecting just shards, but it has been the greatest experience. She did not regret it, either. If it weren't for three years ago, stumbling upon Inuyasha would've never happened. Their friendship would be fiction and Kagome could be living a normal life. She would've never fallen in love with such a man, who sometimes acted like a kid, and her heart would not hurt so much.

Then there were the others. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo, all of them she loved very dearly. She would not have the role of a mother for Shippo and he could possibly be dead right now if it weren't for her and Inuyasha; she would've never had such a female companion like Sango in the modern era; she would never know about the perverted antics Miroku had if she never went through the well.

Yes, she was thankful for going through the well, but not for the jewel. It had caused her numerous problems, including those with Kikyo and Naraku. She looked up at Kikyo and shook her head. She couldn't give up the jewel; she had fought too hard to keep it in the first place. She noticed Kikyo's expression grimace from the response she had gotten and looked over at Inuyasha. Kagome couldn't bring herself to look at him again.

Kikyo whispered: "We must have the jewel, Inuyasha," and Inuyasha's ears drooped. He didn't want to hurt Kagome, not at all. He loved Kagome, and if it weren't for her, he would still be stuck to the tree, bonded by the arrow his Kikyo shot at him in mistake. He could even be _dead_ from the demons that wander the forest. He placed a hand on Tetsuseiga's hilt and waited. _Someone, anyone…_

Sango could not take anymore; she ran to Kagome. She pulled out her Hiraikotsu and stood in front of her. Kagome looked up at her female companion and saw the anger in her eyes. Kagome was not angry. Sure, she hated the two of them together only because her love was ignored from Inuyasha (not to mention the numerous times they attacked her) but she was not angry; Kikyo had good reason to take the jewel from her.

Sango held her boomerang in front of her body and frowned. "You better think twice before you take that fang out, Inuyasha," Sango turned to Kagome and looked as though she were about to cry, "I'd never have anything happen to you, Kagome." _Sango…_ Kagome watched Sango ready herself for battle and saw Inuyasha struggle to listen to Kikyo.

Miroku then ran to Sango's side and held his staff out in defense. "As much as this monk hates to choose between friends, I find you being irrational, Kikyo. Lady Kagome is now the protector of the jewel; that title has been passed down to someone more fitting than yourself, powerful or not. Inuyasha, can't you see?" Kirara growled with Miroku's speech and Shippo jumped in front of all of them. Kagome relaxed herself and found herself being protected by her friends.

She knew she could count on them. All three of her friends looked back at her and asked: "Are you okay?" and she smiled. She was now that her friends were there. Inuyasha's hand slowly fell away from the hilt and Kikyo grunted. Inuyasha looked at Kikyo and whispered, "Let's go, Kikyo. We don't need the jewel anyway." Kikyo shook her head in defiance. Inuyasha felt her aura grow in intensity and she began to yell.

"I will not leave, Inuyasha!" The group turned to Kikyo, whose anger showed in her eyes and she looked at the group. "I will not lose to a weak girl who believes she is the reincarnation of me! If she is just that, she should be able to defeat me!" Soul stealers surrounded Kagome and she began to panic again. "Leave her alone!" Shippo cried. Inuyasha's ears twitched from the noises in the forest.

Kikyo equipped her bow and arrow and pointed it down to Kagome. Kagome froze; what was she suppose to do? Sango stood in front of the arrow's path and held out her boomerang. "I will not have a girl that knows nothing about her powers ruin the jewel's fate," Kikyo rose the arrow to Sango and whispered, "You are not a part of this, demon slayer. I suggest you move before this arrow is yours."

Sango refused. "I am a demon slayer, Kikyo. And, for right now, you are my target. You are threatening Kagome! Why can't we just talk through this!" Kikyo pulled the bow's string farther back and frowned. Inuyasha noticed a familiar scent close; he turned his head to the forest. What was coming, exactly?

Kikyo whispered, "I am through with words," and stood in her offensive stance. Miroku ran in front of Sango and held out his staff. Kikyo smiled. "And now you, Monk? What is your purpose for this?" Sango tried moving Miroku to the side, but Miroku turned to Sango and smiled.

"It seems that I cannot have the woman I love die from a woman I despise. That, and I could never live with myself if you died and I did nothing to save you," Kagome's head bowed in sadness as Sango grabbed a hold of a piece of fabric from Miroku's robes. Sango, herself, did not want to see him die, either. Inuyasha saw the trees moving and widened his eyes.

"Your life, Monk," as soon as Kikyo fired the arrow, Inuyasha grabbed her and leapt back to a group of trees. Sango closed her eyes and waited for Miroku's blood to come; Miroku waited for impact to come; Kagome watched as the arrow was grabbed by a silver entity and the soul stealers blown away.

* * * *  
Sesshomaru stood in front of the group, head bent down, and opened his eyes; they were not red. He threw the arrow down to the ground and Kagome noticed the burns on his hands; shouldn't he be more wounded than that? He turned to the group and said: "Leave." They stood there for a moment, trying to comprehend what he was saying, and he said another word: "Humans."

Kagome noticed something about his voice: it was sinister. The pink glow returned from the jewel and she looked back down at her chest. What was the jewel trying to say? Sango pulled her boomerang around her shoulder and rested it on her back. She tugged on Miroku's robes and began to walk away. Sango looked back at their companion and smiled: "Keep safe, Kagome. I'm sure we'll meet again." Kagome smiled and watched as her friends climbed Kirara and flew into the sky.

Shippo ran to Kagome and jumped into her arms in fear. "Kagome, what's going to happen?" _I don't even know myself. _Sesshomaru turned to Kagome, who held onto Shippo for protection, and met her with his eyes. She was not afraid of him, but she did not know what he was going to do if and when he did transform. He was about to say something to her but was interrupted by Inuyasha.

"Oi! Sesshomaru! What the hell do you want now?" The Tetsuseiga was held in his hands and Kikyo moved behind Inuyasha; Sesshomaru's head snapped towards him. Inuyasha growled as Sesshomaru wielded the Tenseiga. It began to glow a blue aura and Kagome watched as Sesshomaru prepared for battle. Another fight was going to occur? She rose from the ground and brushed the dirt off her outfit; Sesshomaru growled something to her.

"Stay." And away he jumped. A dust of dirt blew towards Kagome, who shielded her face, and looked over at the fight. It was not Inuyasha he was after: it was Kikyo. He pushed her against one of the trees and held the sword to her throat. She was not afraid; Inuyasha was. Sesshomaru noticed Inuyasha jumped towards him and pulled out his Bakusaiga. Two swords now pointed at two people and Kagome felt helpless.

Inuyasha took a step, but Sesshomaru growled. His voice was different, too: "Take one more step and this empty shell will be nothing but dust, half-breed," Kagome stood still for almost a minute before moving towards the three of them. The pink glow was fascinated at the energy around them. Sesshomaru sheathed Bakusaiga while Inuyasha began to transform once more to his demonic form.

Inuyasha's head snapped towards Kagome and growled; Shippo jumped out from Kagome's arms and started to yell: "You don't scare us anymore, Inuyasha!" _I'm not so sure about that, _Kagome thought. She stopped walking and noticed the eyes in Inuyasha: they were not the ones she loved.

Sesshomaru noticed Kikyo relax and smile. "You will not kill me, weakling," she took a hold of his sword and began to release her own power onto the sword. Soon enough, Sesshomaru felt a little pain on his hand. "Go, Inuyasha," she whispered. Sesshomaru's eyes blinked before looking over at his brother.

Kagome stood there, wanting to say something, but all that came out was: "Why, Inuyasha?" he smiled.

"Because you refuse to give us what we want," and he ran towards her. He wasn't as fast as Sesshomaru, say, but he still made it to her fast enough to push into her. She felt her feet leave the ground and begin to fly through the air. Sesshomaru's beast howled and he soon left Kikyo to the trees once more.

Before Inuyasha could reach her with his Tetsuseiga, Sesshomaru caught her through the air and held out the Tenseiga for protection. Kagome leaned further into his armor as Inuyasha's strike came closer and closer to her. He was after her, bottom line. _Why?_

Sesshomaru then pushed his feet against the ground and jumped: Kagome was still against his chest. Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Kagome were now in the air, with the two of them fighting with their swords and one terrified. Sesshomaru let her go once Inuyasha tried thrusting his own sword into her and she felt her body fall through the air. "Transform!" Shippo turned into his pink transformation and caught her just in time; she couldn't keep her eyes off them though.

Shippo allowed Kagome to fall safely onto the ground before changing back to his original form. Kagome looked through the forest lines to find Inuyasha and Sesshomaru battle and battle. Kikyo, too, could not keep her eyes off the fight between the brothers. Inuyasha tried to jump away from Sesshomaru to get back at Kagome, but it was no use: Sesshomaru was too fast.

Then, an arrow shot out from Kikyo's bow and landed in a tree in the middle of the fight. The two demons looked at her and found her aura to be diminishing. She lowered her bow reluctantly and began to walk away; Inuyasha followed her. "Come, Inuyasha," Kikyo looked over at Kagome and smiled, "we'll come another day." Kagome watched Kikyo walk away with her soul stealers and stared when Inuyasha walked past. His transformation was disappearing. Kagome fell to the ground in relief and sighed. _This is too much, Mom._ Shippo ran over to the distraught Kagome and fell into her lap.

It was exhausting, one battle after another. And all she wanted to do was bathe! _Maybe I can't take this anymore._ Kagome closed her eyes and felt tired; yes, it was rather exhausting. She opened her eyes once more to find Sesshomaru standing right next to her. When did he…?

She looked up at him. He was exhausted, too, she could tell. If he didn't show it physically, there was something in his presence that signified exhaustion. He was different again and something changed from his appearance. "Um, Sesshomaru?" His head coldly snapped down at her body. She tensed up almost right away. _Okay, maybe talking won't be necessary,_ she sighed and stood from the ground. He did not move, nor did his eyes ever stray away from her; it seemed as though she had his attention.

Shippo was in her arms when she bowed in respect and gratitude. "Thank you again for what you have done for us. If it weren't for you, we would be goners!" Kagome smiled up at him and he stood there, expressionless. _A simple grunt will do, Sesshomaru_, she thought. "S-So, uh, if it means anything, we'll be on our way," Kagome walked past Sesshomaru again and he inhaled, "and you can go back to taking care of Rin and Jaken, who are probably very worr--" That was all she could get out of her mouth before Sesshomaru blocked her way.

She collided with his chest and stepped a few inches back. "Not this again," she whispered. Sesshomaru growled just a little before redeeming himself; his beast would not take over this time. "Look, all I'm doing is leaving you alone, Sesshomaru! I know you don't want me in your group!" That was true. He did _not_ want another human trudging around with him; it would be too hard to protect two of them. But he continued to stare at her. "So, if you just excuse me…" Sesshomaru grabbed her arm and began to walk towards camp again.

_What the…!_ "H-Hey! What are you doing?!" Kagome struggled to break free, but with Shippo wrapped around her other arm, she couldn't match his strength. She looked down at his hands; they were burnt from Kikyo's power. _They're so minimal, yet so revealing._ Sesshomaru stopped before a group of trees again and turned to her.

"We are leaving, girl," Was he was back to his old self? Kagome felt somewhat relieved; maybe now he would be talking more.

She continued to somehow struggle and frowned. "Where are we going, exactly?" Then, she was pulled into his grasp and held against his Mokomoko. Clouds began to form from underneath his feet and they began to fly. _So this is flying first class? _Kagome laughed to herself. Although, they were going pretty fast: the trees zipped by them, the birds' tunes were gone, and the weaker demons were a thing of the past. "So, uh, Sesshomaru, where are we…" His eyes wandered to her body as she held on for dear life.

He sighed. "We are leaving this forest, girl." And when Kagome looked around, she found them in a very open field with villages on the horizon's edge. Yes, they were out of the forest.

_Finally, _Kagome thought as a small smile showed. Sesshomaru glanced at her once more before turning back to the open lands. _Yes, this forest was bad luck with her,_ they began to move faster, _but these open lands are healing grounds for this girl. _

And his beast disappeared.

**Aw snap. And I bet you thought he had some kind of a soft side for her. NOPE! That was just his beast controlling him until he left the forest. DUN DUN DUNNNNN. (Trust me, I'm confused too) **

**So! They're finally out of the forest! I wonder what will happen now! Man, I hope there aren't any more fights or something; I'm exhausted too! Maybe in the tenth (TENTH!?) chapter I'll just have a calm day for everyone. The fifteenth (WHAT!?) chapter is already planned out, and the twentieth (OMG?!) has a surprise 8) Trust me, their relationship will grow by that chapter. TRUST ME!**

**Some characters will be coming around (some that are actually dead in the manga/anime, some that aren't) so look out for them in the next ten chapters~ One of the characters (CAN YOU GUESS WHO!?) will have a REALLY important role! Look out for them in the future, too. **

**I actually had to make sure I wrote that Kagome had the _jewel_, not just the _jewel shards_ in previous chapters xD I'm so lame.**

**Anything else I need to clear up...? Uh, I don't think so. If you're confused about something or if you want to say something to me, review! Or message me! Whatever you want to do I'll respond! In the tenth chapter, I'll be replying to all the lovely, lovely reviews I have gotten since my last reply, so if you REALLY HAVE SOMETHING TO ASK ME, don't hesitate! I'll answer them honestly! (You just can't ask me what's going to happen next. That's cheating)**

**So review/message! I'll love you if it's hate OR love! 8)**

**Next update: 2/10/10?**

**Until next time!**

**TLS**


	10. Chapter 10 : Playful Tricks

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**SIDE NOTES:**

**"Talking is written like this."**

**_Thoughts, flashbacks, and dreams are written like this._**

**What is in this chapter: thoughts and flashbacks. Trust me, you won't get them confused.**

* * *

_Last time, on "Blossoms into Love"..._

_"So, uh, Sesshomaru, where are we...?"_

_"We are leaving this forest, girl," And his beast disappeared._

* * *

Kagome wondered: they had been in the cavern for nearly two days, and Sesshomaru had hardly said a word to her. Rin and Jaken were by their Lord and Shippo had never left her side (he wanted to make sure her wounds would not get an infection or open again; they did not). Sesshomaru, who barely moved in his spot at the entrance of the cavern, made no notion to those inside the cave.

When they first arrived at the cave, they didn't know what to expect, especially from Sesshomaru.

_His feet rested upon the ground before the cavern and let Kagome step down from his presence. He turned to the forest to see Ah-Un and the others slowly coming forth. It was not, say, a perfect place that he was used to, but if he had to manage to stay warm for a night or two, he would not mind. That, and they were out of range of Inuyasha's nose, so they could not track her down again._

_He looked down at her. What was that fascinating about her? She was a mortal, nothing special. She had priestess powers, yes, but even then, she could not use them to their full potential. She was not beautiful—he had seen the divine and stunning goddesses, and those he had to kill—nor was she pleasant to smell (something about her scent made his nose itch) so her appearance was not pleasing. She was not formal, she wore nothing but those filthy clothes, and now in her new outfit, she still looked like a dirty human._

_He would never understand his beast, but something about her made it flare in anger and possession. "We will stay here for the night," he said before entering the cave. Kagome, however, found it unpleasant and disturbing: stag mites rose and fell from every place imaginable; it was wet and moist from the warmth; the cold ground was a surprise, especially when the air was dense and humid; there was no light inside this cave, only darkness roamed about. She stood out in the field._

_She did not want to go inside. Shippo, too, found it rather scary and feared for his life. Who knew what could be lurking in the shadows! Sesshomaru turned to them and glared. "Is there a problem, woman?" Kagome frowned._

"_First, it's Kagome!" Sesshomaru ignored her plea. She was a human; she would be addressed as such. "Second, that is not where we are staying. The forest was beautiful! This is not the greatest place in the world. Can't we find a shack in a village nearby?" Sesshomaru stared at her and made no move towards her._

"_Human villages are filthy and vile; they are not safe, for demons roam the lands here and attack the vulnerable." Kagome sighed: there was no way to reason with him, was there? "You may try to reason with this one, but I suggest you stay inside the cavern before demons scour the area because of your scent." She shook her head. Again, she was refusing orders from Sesshomaru! _

_He thought about killing her. She had mocked him without realizing the dangers of this, but he kept his ground of stature and stood inside the cave. Kagome turned around; now she had stated he was weak due to her back being shown to Sesshomaru! "Well, Sesshomaru, I find no reason to stay with you anyway. I can thank you for taking me out of the forest, but I can fend for myself, along with Shippo here," his beast could not handle her mockery._

_She began to walk away from him and his beast let him decide whether or not to chase after her. He leapt from the entrance of the cave to her, which he wrapped an arm around her waist, and leapt back to the cavern. She had no time to react; it happened so fast that she didn't realize that she was inside the safe haven! Sesshomaru pushed her against the walls of the cold place and growled. Kagome realized what she had done. "Do you mock this one?" he whispered. _

_She shook her head. "I'm not mocking you!" She yelled in his face. He pushed her more against the walls and let his nails itch against her cold skin. "Why are you so interested in my well-being now, Sesshomaru?" He stopped with his threatening antics. His beast flared and his red eyes flashed before her. "What is it that makes you want to keep me safe?" His mother flashed in his mind and he shook his head. _

"_Do not question my actions based on your careless deeds, girl," Kagome's heart started to race. Was he going to kill her because she wanted to leave? She pushed his hand away from her shoulder—he growled when she touched his wrist—and stared long into his eyes. She could not find an answer to his actions; they were carefully hidden away. _

_She noticed him inching towards her, making her back straighten against the wall. What was he doing? "You are lucky to be alive, and yet you feel as though you should be superior to this one. You can lose your life as fast as you were saved," he whispered. Kagome was in shock; since when was his voice this commanding?_

_She loosened her tension and nudged him away from her. "Sesshomaru, I am greatly in debt for the way you saved my life," she moved towards him. She was almost touching his armor! "but to control every move and every action I make is preposterous!" _

"_I am merely watching over you so your wounds may heal properly. Humans like yourself are weak and need help. I am granting you that much." Sesshomaru's anger was getting to be too much for his beast. _

"_I never asked for such a thing!" _

"_Silence!" Sesshomaru rose his voice so his command would echo in the cavern. It was so powerful, Kagome thought, and didn't know what to say to that. Soon enough, Rin, Jaken, and Ah-Un arrived and Kagome turned away from Sesshomaru. It was their first confrontation and it certainly wouldn't be their last. Sesshomaru stood there and stared at the wall before slicing one of the stag mites in half._

_If only he had the courage to do that to a human that was in his protection. Kagome went further into the cavern and sat down with Shippo while Sesshomaru turned his attention to the land. He would need to relax his beast around her before he would go near her once more. _

He had gotten enough food for the week; he kept the fire going for warmth and cooking the meals; he knew where demons were in areas when they were near and could harm those inside. Yet, he made no move to actually socialize with anyone inside. She was forced to lie on the cold ground while he stood at the entrance, only because every time she moved, he would twitch at the noises she made. Besides, she didn't mind looking at the dark cavern away from Sesshomaru. "Kagome?" Shippo jumped above her body and looked her in the face.

Kagome looked up at the little Fox demon and smiled. "Yes, Shippo?" He sat down next to her and she let her hand rub his head. He was so cute that she couldn't help but pet him! He leaned into her warmth—at least, he thought she was warm—and let her pet the inside of his ears. He looked at her once more, this time with a smile on his face.

"Can't we go take a bath?" She shook her head. They tried that once before, and Shippo was almost killed—at least, Kagome thought he was going to kill him.

_Kagome knew she still had to bathe. After an hour being inside the cave, she felt her skin being too dirty to even sleep on! She walked over to Sesshomaru. He looked pissed off, almost as if he was going to kill anything that went near their camp. She tugged on his clothing; he did not turn around. She figured he already knew who it was. "What is it that you need?" Shippo stood next to her, pushing her to talk to him. _

_She wished she didn't have to, especially with the face he had on. She cleared her throat and continued. "U-Uh, I was wondering if I could bring Shippo for a bath! After all, we're pretty dirty, like you said, and…"_

"_No" was all she heard. He had the deepest voice when he said that, too! She looked down at Shippo and shrugged; it seemed that he was still irritated over the whole argument with her earlier that day. _

_She continued with her reasoning, however: "And my skin feels awfully dirty, too. In fact, if we do go clean our skin off, then we won't smell as appalling! I could even take Rin along!" His ears perked at her name and he still stood his ground. A simple "no" escaped his lips, and Shippo was frustrated._

"_Hey, how come you won't let us go out! We have done what you have asked already, so let us just go and take a bath!" Sesshomaru looked down at him with anger in his eyes, almost ready to kill him on the spot! Sesshomaru was actually contemplating killing the both of them once more, but Rin was nearby, and he would have a difficult time lying to his young ward. _

_Sesshomaru stared back to the fields. "You have no expertise on the demons out here, nor do you have the experience to kill them." Shippo scoffed and started to talk back. Sesshomaru did not like this._

"_Kagome could kill them! She's really good at what she does! Especially when she purifies them! So why are you so against her leaving?" Shippo punched the lower part of Sesshomaru's leg; it did not hurt—he barely felt it, actually—but he refused to be attacked by a weakling like Shippo. "Are you wanting to hurt Kagome like Inuyasha?" Was he comparing him to Inuyasha? It was the final straw: he retaliated._

_Sesshomaru quickly grabbed the little demon and held him high in the air by his neck. He was growling—so much for self-control. Kagome panicked and grabbed Sesshomaru's arm. Sesshomaru looked over at her and loudly growled. "I will not be compared to that half-breed, dead or alive." Kagome understood; he had always hated Inuyasha, from the start of Inuyasha's life. _

"_Yeah, but you don't have to almost kill Shippo for it! It was supposed to make you angered! So release him!" Sesshomaru looked up at the little fox demon and released his grasp._

"_Tell your ward to know his place, girl," Kagome nodded and picked Shippo up from the ground—he was crying from the pain. So much for going to bathe, after all that drama, she thought._

"I don't think he'd let us go, even if you didn't upset him the first time. Why, are you in need of a long bath like I am?" He nodded. It _would_ be nice to soak in a long, steamy bath just waiting for the both of them. Kagome stopped petting Shippo and looked at him with a smile on her face. "Maybe we can go."

* * * *

Sesshomaru heard nothing from the other group while he stood by the entrance. He heard the playful tunes Rin mumbled to herself while Jaken's constant bickering towards Rin overpowered the other two. He occasionally looked back to the girl and found her interesting. She was the only one to not address him as "Lord", and she was the only one that seemed to challenge his alpha status on the group.

Perhaps his brother's attitude had rubbed off on her, or maybe that was already programmed in her own personality—all humans have a different outlook on life, and are therefore programmed like this at birth (he thought this, at least). Nonetheless, he almost found it to be annoying and bothering his own sense of life by provoking his beast.

His beast: what a horrible temper it had when she was around. Even the little fox demon tempted it to come alive! Why was it so irritable when she was near or when she spoke to him the wrong way? Was it trying to stand its ground? Or was it being threatened? He shook his head and stared out at the setting sun. Soon, the demons would disappear and he could relax another day.

Maybe not now. He heard a scream come from the back side of the cave. "Sesshomaru!" she screamed. He tensed up while staring at the sun. Was she actually being attacked? He did not sense anything nearby, nor was there anything that could've came into the cave. She continued to scream and he heard footsteps echo against the walls.

He turned around to the darkness with a tint of red and saw her running towards him. He smelt the air, trying to pick up some kind of a scent. Her scent was nearby, almost too close for him to handle. Then, he saw everything: she ran past him with a smile on her face and the little fox demon in her arms.

They had planned this. She wanted to trick him for once, see if she could escape his reach for one day. So she told Shippo: "Let's make it seem like I'm in danger. He's come to my rescue when I was in danger with Inuyasha and Kikyo. What makes this different?" So they did. And he stood there for a moment staring at the darkness—Rin was laughing and Jaken was in shock while looking at his Lord—and he turned to the girl running in the field.

Kagome turned around to Sesshomaru and yelled: "Catch me if you can!" She was teasing him! He watched her get closer and closer to the nearest springs—he could see them from the cavern—and smirked. For once, he was pleased at the action she took; she was being intelligent for tricking his beast.

So he leapt from the entrance of the cave and chased her. He was the cat, she the mouse, and they were running for other reasons.

* * * *

Kagome saw the springs in front of her through a path of trees and looked back towards the cave; he was gone. _Oh no, he's chasing me. _She leaned against a tree to catch her breath and let Shippo go. "Shippo, you need a bath?" He smiled and ran towards the spring. Soon enough, he was in the water with his clothes sopping wet; it felt _wonderful_. Shippo could almost feel the warm water sinking under his skin and letting him just relax!

Kagome looked around the forest and found no trace of Sesshomaru in the area. When her breath finally relaxed, she stepped away from the tree and walked towards the spring. Her waist was caught by an arm and she figured it was Sesshomaru: she was right. She turned her head towards the man holding her back. He had no expression of exhaustion, no angry demise lurking in his eyes. He was calm and collected.

He whispered: "Why did you leave the camp?" Kagome smiled and looked back towards the springs.

"Ah, well, Shippo needed a bath! And we all know how you handled this last time." Sesshomaru looked inside the springs to find the little fox demon (now naked from the clothes he threw onto the rocks around) floating above the water, soaking every drop of warm water he could. "And, I figured I could go with him since I need a bath as well. Not to mention, I suppose you wouldn't want to have a bath, would you?" The smile was almost one of malice; yes, she was good at these tricks.

Sesshomaru released his grasp from her. "I will not stoop so low as to bathe with a human in a filthy spring such as this one," Kagome shrugged and turned away from him once more. His beast was not tempered, nor was it wanting more of her. What was going on? Sesshomaru jumped into the trees and sat on one of the higher branches—in order to keep an eye on both parties. "Be quick, girl," and diverted his eyes away from her.

Kagome looked up at him and saw no happy expression cross his face. There were no tired markers that came from protecting everyone; he had to be exhausted with the work over the years with Rin and Jaken, not to mention the addition of her and Shippo. She sighed and let the newest outfit slip off her body; the cold air around made her shiver. Yes, it would be nice to jump into the warm water.

Sesshomaru glanced down at the wounds on her back before she went any further with her outfit. They were a deep red, almost as if they were bleeding again. The cut was visible, as well as other scars from other battles throughout her back. There was one that he noticed that ran almost vertically down her spine, which was the longest of them all. He noticed her itch that scar and almost sadden before letting the rest of her outfit fall to the ground.

He waited to look back at the group once she was fully underwater. The scar was sensitive to hot water, judging by her tensed expression when she came above the water. He was not fixated on her body—there was no beauty to glance over—but rather this one scar that tempted his questioning. He silently fell from the tree and jumped onto one of the higher rocks above the spring. The steam against his face already made his sweat noticeable.

Shippo was the first to realize his presence. "Oh, Lord Sesshomaru!" Kagome opened her eyes—she was resting her body against the rocks—and covered herself. How rude! "Do you want to join us?" Sesshomaru shook his head and looked at Kagome.

"You have no need to cover yourself; I have no pleasure to look at your body," Kagome's eyes widened and she became frustrated. What—what the hell! "How did you get that scar on your back?" Kagome moved around a bit on the rocks to itch the sensitive skin and sadly smiled.

"That is from Naraku's final battle—you should remember this, Sesshomaru," She looked up at him and met his eyes. He had forgotten the battle as if it had never happened; he only remembered his defeat. He rose from the rock and walked around the spring. Kagome did not move and felt him stop behind her. Soon enough, his nails studied the skin from the scar left behind and she shivered; he was cold!

He tried to remember the battle, but only remember the ending, when she shot the arrow. "Refresh my memory," his nails left her skin and she turned her head. She saw him turn around and face the cave on the hill against a rock. "Kagome," her eyes widened.

What made him say her name?

**I actually updated? I tried to make it more ... _romantic_ for Valentine's Day (Yes, because nothing says "I love you" like the wonders of a scar) because I totally planned to update on V-Day, but I couldn't make them romantic. I just couldn't!**

**Uh, so, who else thinks that this is a weak 10th chapter? XD I told you this would be more of a resting day for everyone! **

**Do I need to clarify on anything..? Uh, I don't think so. OH! Next two chapters will be about the battle of Naraku. DUN DUN DUNNNNN. I figure someone needs to know about this battle, so.. 15th chapter's near! AND I'M EXCITED! And 10 more for the 20th? SO EXCITED FOR THAT, TOO! I think a lot of you will like the 20th chapter, but we'll see.**

**Let's reply to some reviews, shall we!?**

**CHAPTER SEVEN REVIEWS!**

**darksilvercloud: Haha! She has the worst luck! Hopefully Sesshomaru will keep a leash on her from now on 8)  
Jill L: Not a problem! I love replying to my readers 8) (Whenever I get around to it) Oh, and trust me, I was getting tired of Kagome just lying around bleeding to death. That is just not interesting (although, Sesshomaru's side of the story seemed nice to write about for once). Thanks for the review! 8)  
Athena Dragonseeker21: I try to update! I really do! D8 Thank you for the love though 8)  
Mesuki: Haha! You are too correct! Man, I thought I was being sneaky about that, too! Oh well~ Looks like I'm back to the drawing board to actually try and make something a mystery. Maybe I should work on that for the next chapter. Hmm. Ah, but anyway! You are very welcome for the reply! I love replying to my readers. Makes me feel like I have some kind of a connection with them or something (and don't worry about the multi-reviews! More love for me~). Ah, and thank you for the honor of being one of the top authors on the site! I am not very popular, since I don't write as often as a lot of authors here (gosh, some authors get 200+, 500+ or even 1000+ reviews! That is ridiculous!) or I don't have a specific style that someone likes. As long as I have a close relationship with my readers, that's what matters. I'd rather have that than have 1000 reviews and feel like I'm not talking to my readers. That's cruel! Thank you for the love and thank you for the luck for college! (I'll need it for sure!) 8)  
maire 53: I try to update once a week (or once every two weeks, it seems! Haha) so my readers are loved~ 8)  
chricy: HAHA! Oh, you don't know how many times I just wanted to kill Kikyo! But, she's important for these next ten chapters coming up, so look out for the wench! D8 And I can't wait how I make them fall in love either! I should probably work on that before I start these next ten chapters, huh? Hm. Anyway! Thank you for the love and support! I appreciate your review! 8)  
KatiechanXoxoXSesshoukun: And I will update as soon as I can again! Hooray!**

**CHAPTER EIGHT REVIEWS! **

**AlanaBlack92: Trust me, there'll be about 20 more chapters to this story. I'm pretty sure this will be around for a while. Haha. Thank you for the review!  
Mesuki: Ah, yes, Kagura! I forgot I mentioned her in the chapter. She'll come about these next 10 chapters, as well as some other characters (one of my FAVORITE characters will make a comeback around the 20th chapter! I'm excited.) coming around. I thought about having her dead with Naraku, but she has too much value. I need her for this story! Thank you for the lovely reviews and love! 8)**

**CHAPTER NINE REVIEWS!**

**Hmm. For some reason, no one really reviewed for this chapter. Something was going on with FF anyway, so that might've been it. That's fine though! I got enough love to update 8)**

**Look out for new characters coming about in the next 10 chapters! This will be exciting! Can you guess what the CLIMATIC (WHAAAA?) moment to this story will be? This'll come about around the 20th chapter or so, but look out for some hints!**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the lovely reviews I have gotten from everyone! I would also like to thank those that put me on either their Favorite Authors List (WHAAAAA? THAT'S SO NICE OF YOU!!!) or the Favorite Stories List (I feel like I'm accepting an award, thanking everyone...) because without you, my story wouldn't be so popular! But that's fine! As long as I have some great readers like you guys, I don't need to have over 500 reviews. 100 would be just fine~**

**Thank you again, and please review if you have anything you would like to say! I'll reply next time in the 13th chapter, so now's the time to do so!**

**Until next time!**

**TLS**


	11. Chapter 11 : Wicked Scars

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**SIDE NOTES:**

**"Talking is written like this."**

**_In this chapter, thoughts are written like this._**

**Side-side note: It's going to jump between the past and the present. You most likely WON'T get them confused, but if you do, I apologize. I tried to make it as easy as possible.**

**Side-side-side note: This chapter is PART ONE of TWO chapters. The next chapter is PART TWO! Thank you (I'm done with these notes!)**

* * *

_Last time, on "Blossoms into Love"..._

_"How did you get that scar on your back?"_

_"That is from Naraku's final battle--you should remember this, Sesshomaru."_

_"Refresh my memory, Kagome." What made him say her name? _

* * *

She leaned back on the rocks in the water and let her head hit the ground. Looking at the orange sky, it reminded her of the day. "I don't remember the aftermath—perhaps you can fill me in on that. But I remember us finally finding him," Sesshomaru closed his eyes with her and let the memories pile into their minds from that day.

* * * *

An open field around Kaede's village succumbed to a darkened sky compared to the orange one only miles away. Sesshomaru and his group had been behind Inuyasha's, after they joined together. It was only a few days ago, but when Sesshomaru had proclaimed: "We are to join your group as a means to defeat Naraku," the whole group was surprised. Inuyasha was the only one to really object to this idea, but the rest did not mind. After all, Kikyo did join their group some weeks ago.

Just like Naraku, he was mysteriously standing in the middle of this field, smiling to the rest of the group. He was still in his bodied form. Inuyasha took out his sword (Sesshomaru, too, but he wasn't as dramatic as him) and aimed it square at Naraku. "Ah, the Tetsuseiga. Tell me, Inuyasha: do you plan on finally killing me today?" Kikyo aimed her arrow at his body and Naraku laughed; he knew she wouldn't do anything, not from the bond they had only months ago.

Inuyasha scoffed and stepped in front of the group, as if he were the alpha. "Today's your lucky day, Naraku, because it seems like Hell is finally prepared for you," he said. Naraku laughed; like Hell he was going to die. Before some witty comeback could come from Naraku, Sesshomaru rushed to the half-demon's side and let his Bakusaiga fall towards the ground. One swipe took care of half of his tentacles.

"Impudent half-breed," Sesshomaru muttered. Naraku jumped away from the fearful demon Lord and lowly growled. He, Sesshomaru, hardly found it threatening. Inuyasha swung his sword to the ground and let the wind guide his attack to his target. Easily dodging the attack, Naraku flew into the air and watched as the two brothers followed.

It was one thing to fear at least Sesshomaru alone, but with both brothers aiming for the same target? He noticed the humans on the ground—except the demon-slayer and the monk, who were in the air with their companion—and knew something was going to cause trouble. With a barrier, Naraku hid himself in the clouds and waited for the brothers to follow. Sesshomaru glanced at Inuyasha.

"I will not have the likes of you get in the way of killing him," Sesshomaru flew higher into the sky while Inuyasha began to yell at him.

"Wha—Sesshomaru, you bastard! I've been after him since the very beginning! It's going to be me with his head!" Inuyasha followed his brother and Naraku could only smile. Yes, this was going according to plan. Inside the clouds, no one could tell what was going to happen next: who was going to fall? Who would be the first to be injured? Was everyone okay? Kagome sighed and stood on the ground; the only her and Kikyo could do was stand point and fire their arrows when ready.

Kagome looked over at Kikyo, who always had an arrow near her bow, and saw her eyes driven in the clouds. Was she searching for something? "With the darkened jewel," she whispered. Did she just read her mind? "it is harder to find Naraku in the clouds." Kikyo looked over at Kagome. "You should know this." She was right; she should've known.

The wind began to pick itself up from afar and a feathered friend lashed its attack on Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru, who dodged the attack, looked at the newest foe to come along and stared. She let her fan open itself and smiled. "Ah, Sesshomaru. It has been a while, has it not?" Sesshomaru let his body fall to the ground and she followed; she was not letting him leave her sights.

When he landed, Kagura left her feather and stood there in front of Sesshomaru. "Leave me be, wench," but she shook her head. His grip on his sword tightened and unleashed an attack towards her. She motioned her fan in a circular manner and caused the attack to miss. She smiled.

"I cannot leave behind the man I must kill and love at the same time. Such is the fate for you now, Sesshomaru," sure, she did not want to kill him, but without his life gone from this world, she would never have her freedom. She opened her fan and whispered: "Let's dance."

A blinding light came from Naraku and Inuyasha fell back to the ground. A girl with a mirror stepped from the clouds and looked straight at Inuyasha. "Wha—what the hell! Kanna, what are you doing!?" Her mirror glowed with an ominous light as did the Tetsuseiga. Soon enough, the sword changed back to its regular form and Kanna was there with her mirror.

Inuyasha looked at his sword and back at Kanna. "I cannot allow you any further," she whispered. Inuyasha sheathed his sword and scoffed. Damn, why did everything have to go not according to plan? He cracked his knuckles and watched the light in the mirror change in different colors. He wasn't going to die without a fight.

A man flung his weapon towards those in the sky. Sango deflected the scythe with her boomerang and looked down towards the ground. There, in the midst of other battles, was Kohaku aiming once more with his weapon. Miroku whispered to her: "He is under Naraku's spell." She nodded. It was still painful, though, that he wanted to fight her. Kirara dove to the ground and the two of them jumped to the ground.

"Kohaku! It's me, Sango!" He did not hear her and let his weapon fly in the sky. Sango lifted her Hiraikotsu and deflected the scythe once more. Kohaku caught his weapon again and stood in front of his sister. "Don't you recognize me?" She yelled to him. He shook his head.

"You are an enemy," he said before attacking again. What were they to do?

* * * *

Sesshomaru noticed her pause and turned around; she was leaving the springs. "What is your meaning of stopping, girl?" Back to girl, that was all he knew for her! She sighed and turned to him. Even though it still embarrassed her that he is now seeing her naked and all, he made no comments about it.

"For one thing, we humans can't stay in the spring for a long time. We'll prune!" She held out her hands and he examined them. Indeed, they were "pruned" and wrinkled from the hot water. "And another thing, I do believe you just want to hear the story of how I got this scar, right?" He nodded.

She was tiring him of the nonsensical details she was giving about this battle. He only wondered about her scar. She dressed herself—Shippo did as well—and stepped over by him. Needless to say, she did smell a lot better than before. He rose to his feet with ease and towered over her. "Let us get back to the cave then, Sesshomaru. I can tell you more of the story on the way," he did not acknowledge that and walked away from her.

She sighed; couldn't he be a bit friendlier towards her? She picked Shippo up from the ground and caught up with Sesshomaru. She continued: "Naraku was the least of everyone's worries, it seemed, and he escaped from the clouds." Sesshomaru recalled this.

* * * *

Naraku escaped those fighting him and landed on the ground. Once he did, he took his focus on the two priestesses on the ground—one with a bow and arrow pointed right at him and the other holding a little demon in her arms. He smiled. "Kikyo," Kagome turned her attention to him; she was observing the fights between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. Kikyo pulled the arrow back. "you honestly believe you can defeat me? After what you said months ago?" Kagome was going to turn to Kikyo, but something stopped her.

An arrow shot in front of Kagome's face. The whizzing noise the arrow produced made her locked in place and made Shippo jump from her arms. She heard Kikyo equip her bow again and whisper: "Next time I will not miss," and Kagome turned her head. She could not tell whether she was talking about herself or Naraku. She turned her back on Kikyo and took her own bow and arrow out.

This time, Naraku laughed. A measly girl could not possibly think she had the power of Kikyo, did she? "And the one they call Kagome," she pulled the bow's string back in place and aimed her arrow. Kikyo did the same. "Such a shame that one of you will die today," and both girls released their arrows. A black cloud surrounded the two of them—along with Shippo, who was hiding behind Kagome's leg—and they didn't know whether or not they hit Naraku or not.

Kagome turned towards Kikyo. "Kikyo, where is he?" Kikyo looked around. She felt nothing.

"I do not know. He is hidden in this cloud and has us both cornered. Tell me, Kagome, how is it that you cannot feel this energy around us?" She did not know. "If you truly are some reincarnation of me, there must be something holding you back. What could it possibly be?" Again, she did not know. All she wanted to know was where Naraku could be.

* * * *

Sesshomaru started to remember everything from the battle. He remembered the cloud appearing once more and what had gone on outside. Before she continued, he held his hand in the air. She stopped her story. "If I may," he said, "I will tell you what went on outside this dark cloud." She nodded and let him talk for a while; he was probably getting annoyed by her voice anyway.

* * * *

When the black cloud came, the group turned to the dark energy. Sesshomaru, who was the first to notice, turned his back on his enemy and stared at Naraku's form before realizing the two human girls were trapped inside. He made a move towards the cloud before hearing the wind pick up once more. He turned his head and saw Kagura ready for battle. He did not want to waste his time with a weak woman like herself.

"Hm? So you are more fascinated on the women inside the cloud?" He turned back towards Kagura.

"I find no valid reason to save their wretched lives. Rather, Naraku should be the one in your place," Kagura smirked and stepped forward towards Sesshomaru. Was she threatening him? He found the wind to rush through the air and watching her body almost flow with it. She raised her arm and swung her fan to the ground.

"I am your enemy, Sesshomaru! Do not fret about Naraku!" Sesshomaru jumped to and fro with each attack she unleashed and had no choice but to unsheathe his sword. As much as he did not want to fight her, nor did he want to actually care about her in the first place, he had no choice but to fight her.

As powerful as the wind could be, he found it useless to try to use the wind as a means to distract him from his enemy. It was pointless to believe that something could spark his focus away from the attacker, and thought it was in no way powerful itself. It was a plan from demons throughout his years of survival and knew his way around these people. With one swing of his sword, she used the wind to dodge another attack.

He began to swing wildly in the air. Wave after wave of attacks found its way to Kagura eventually as she had a rather difficult time manipulating the wind to her advantage. Once on the ground, easily beaten, Sesshomaru leapt towards his enemy and aimed his sword right at her. She smiled.

"Ah, so it seems that I am defeated," she whispered in the calm wind. He stood over her body and placed the tip of his sword on her neck. She smiled. "What are you waiting for, Sesshomaru? I have never seen you hesitate to kill someone," he made no gesture towards this comment. He made a motion to stab her in the neck, but was stopped by the malignant energy of Naraku. He showed himself, and when he did, Sesshomaru turned to the dark cloud.

In the air, there was a stench of blood. A lot of it, actually; Sesshomaru pulled away from Kagura, who was also intrigued by the newest twist from Naraku. A puddle of blood was visible on the ground and Sesshomaru heard Inuyasha's cry for her. "Kagome!" He tried jumping towards the two women but Kanna stopped him with his own Adamant Barrage. One spike made him stop in his tracks and yell towards her again.

Sesshomaru turned his head towards Kagura: "You live, woman. I suggest you keep your life for years to come." With that, while dodging more of Kanna's Adamant Barrage, he leapt towards the two priestesses and saw one bloodied and the other angered. He saw the girl that was bloodied still holding onto her weapon while staring at the ground (how was she still able to stand?). Shippo looked up at Sesshomaru and started to cry. He didn't want Kagome to pass on.

* * * *

Kagome nodded at the story and continued where Sesshomaru wanted to end. "Before that, though," she whispered. Shippo was already traumatized from it, so jumped from her arms and ran towards the cavern himself. "Naraku attacked."

* * * *

Suddenly, Naraku came from the shadows and stood behind Kagome. Kagome had no time to react and she felt one of his tentacles (it was sharp, too) against her spine. Kagome froze as Kikyo aimed another arrow at Naraku (or was it at Kagome?). Naraku pressed harder against Kagome's skin and pierced through. Kagome winced and Kikyo grunted. "Step away from her, Naraku," she murmured. Naraku smirked.

"Come, Kikyo, shoot your arrow. This girl here will have a nice, fresh cut, though, once you let the arrow come towards me," he replied. Kagome looked at Kikyo. She wouldn't do such a thing, right? Risk her life to kill one man? Kagome felt some of his poisonous miasma seep into her skin and tensed in pain. Suddenly, she heard the bow snap. She did.

Kagome opened her eyes, only to feel the tentacle slice right down her back and open a long, deep wound. Soon, she felt her blood seep down her back and drip down her legs. She turned around to find a smiling Naraku: Kikyo missed. Was it on purpose? So much pain made her bow her head in silence and she started to pant from the wound. Shippo cried out.

"Kagome!" She then heard the distant voice of Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku cry out for her. Shippo stepped in front of her and looked at her face. He saw absolute shock and horror written in her eyes. "Kagome, please hold on!" She heard more battles continue outside of this cage and heard Naraku's laugh. Kikyo equipped her bow with yet another arrow and stared at him in anger.

Then, he came. Sesshomaru stepped in front of Kagome and held out his Bakusaiga against Naraku. He turned back towards the wounded one and frowned. "Are you that weak to not protect yourself, mortal?" She did not respond. His attention turned back to Naraku, who was still smiling. Something about him made his beast furious and he went out of control.

Naraku, though, had something to say before Sesshomaru began to attack: "Ah, so you are protective of humans now, Sesshomaru? And you call her weak for not protecting herself. I would've never suspected such a humane act, Sesshomaru," Sesshomaru growled and sped towards Naraku. He didn't see it coming.

Soon enough, many attacks by the Bakusaiga were flying in the air and hitting Naraku left and right. The only thing after the barrage of attacks was his torso up to his head. And he was still smiling! Kikyo fired another arrow and barely hit Naraku in the stomach. The dark clouds were dissipating from the area and Naraku started to laugh. "So ends this battle, mortals. I shall see you again, when you must bury yourselves in your graves!" Something pulsed within Kagome and caused Sesshomaru to turn to her.

Naraku found himself trapped. There was a barrier behind him that made him unable to escape. He turned to the people on the ground and began to frighten the girl he wounded. Kagome placed the arrow in one of her hands against the bow and pulled back. She lifted her head and all Sesshomaru found was pure anger. He only widened his eyes for a few seconds. With the arrow aimed at Naraku's body, Kagome started to talk.

"After all you have done," she whispered, "from the pain you have caused others to the horrors across the land," Sesshomaru turned to Naraku; it seemed he feared the wrong person. Kagome screamed the rest: "You deserve to die!" The arrow was released, with so much energy that once it made contact with Naraku, the only thing everyone heard was a curdling scream from him and the rest disintegrated from the bright light.

Sesshomaru turned back to Kagome, who dropped her bow right after she shot the arrow, and saw her look at him. Shippo ran to where Naraku's body would've been and found the tainted jewel. He ran back and held it up for her. She reached out with her hands and stepped towards Sesshomaru. She was worthy enough at that moment to grab his clothing for support. "Thank you," she whispered, before falling forward. Sesshomaru barely caught her with his free arm so she may hit the ground with little to no impact whatsoever.

* * * *

They reached the cavern and Kagome stopped her story. That was all she remembered from that day. She looked up at Sesshomaru, who was putting everything together now, and smiled. "Thank you again, Sesshomaru, but I must be heading to bed now. Perhaps you can fill me in on the rest of the story tomorrow," she whispered before entering the cavern alone. Sesshomaru stood outside of the entrance and looked out towards the sunset.

_Yes,_ he thought, _tomorrow._

**BOOM! I guess you could call this a filler chapter, but..eh, you know, I try to make this whole storyline interesting. God.**

**Has anyone else noticed how...much detail I'm ****_lacking?_ I need to get back to my old writing habit. Sorry if anyone hates this chapter because of that! Haha.**

**So, uh, who thinks this shouldn't be a part of the story? NOT ME! Next chapter, we'll see .. some? humanity from Sesshomaru. Even he remembers this! My goodness, this will be interesting. I might have a chapter with Kikyo and Inuyasha. UGH I KNOW. But it'll only be half of the chapter. The other half will focus on Sesshomaru and Kagome. MORE LIKE LOVE!? No, not at all.**

**To give you guys some kind of a timeline, this..romance stuff won't be happening for another seven chapters or so! HAHA. Oh my goodness, I'm horrible. Just remember: Kagome is trying to get over Inuyasha (WHICH WILL COME IN THE NEXT THREE CHAPTERS! WOO!) and she isn't even feeling some love for Sesshomaru. GIVE IT TIME, PEOPLE! I can't just make them sleep together like that!**

**I still can't wait for the 15th chapter. I think I'm too excited for it, but I really want to see what your guys' reactions are from it. Oh man, I think I'll have fun with that chapter. And the 20th!? GET READY!**

**I want to take some time away from here and recognize everyone that has either alerted me, put me on a favorite authors list, alerted just this story, or reviewed this story. I truly, truly, TRULY thank ALL of you for what you all have said, done, whatever! I may get self-conscious sometimes and see other authors have some HUGE number of reviews (this past week I saw the whole front page for Sesshomaru/Kagome stories with all of them having 500+ reviews! Then there was me with 30 haha) and I sometimes stop writing for a while because of this..stuff, but whenever I look at my reviews, I can't help but write! And for everyone that hasn't reviewed, but has me on an alert or a favorite stories list, I really LOVE it when I see that in my e-mail inbox! It brings a tear to my eye 83**

**So thank you, thank you, thank you! I can't thank you enough for all the love! Even if I end this story with maybe 100 reviews (my goal is 150 HAHA) I'll still love this story, only because of you guys 8) (I do have a theory as to why I'm not getting a ton of reviews or hits or anything like that: my word count. I'm over 40000! Compare that to other stories with, like, 500+ reviews. They have almost 20 chapters with about 20000 words! HOLY CRAP!)**

**So review! I'll love you forever if you do! It can be love or hate, whatever! 8) **

**Until next time!**

**TLS**


	12. Chapter 12 : Herbal Remedy

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

**

_Last time, on Blossoms into Love..._

_"Perhaps you can fill me in on the rest of the story tomorrow."_

_Yes, he thought, tomorrow.

* * *

_

"Lord Sesshomaru?" He glanced down at his young human ward and saw her tired eyes. What was she doing up at this hour of the night? She sat down next to the demon lord and looked up at him; why was he so soft with her? "What are you thinking about?" He looked down at Kagome, then back to Rin.

"It is not of importance," he replied. She looked over at the sleeping Kagome and smiled. He had not known what he was actually thinking about, but knew about the memories from the day she was injured. He looked down at Rin and said, "but that girl," she nodded.

"Lady Kagome! She's very pretty, Lord Sesshomaru!" He found that to be a lie, but continued to let her speak. "Why is she on your mind, Lord Sesshomaru?" He blinked; what was he thinking about, exactly? The last thing he remembered thinking was how everything unfolded itself after that vicious attack, the slaughter of Naraku, and the blood trail left behind by Kagome herself. He looked down at the little child and felt her lean against him. He was getting too soft.

"She should not be in this one's mind anyway, Rin," she looked up at him and gave him her infamous toothy grin. He stared down at her and saw her smile.

"Well Rin would like to listen to your stories, Lord Sesshomaru! They're always so fascinating!" He looked back into the cave towards the darkness where a girl lied and then back down to Rin. "And don't skimp on the details, either! Rin knows when Lord Sesshomaru is keeping something back!" He felt her lay her head on his lap and curl against his soft clothing. If it was what she wanted, it was what she would get.

* * * *

Inuyasha rushed to Kaede's village. There would be no time to weep over her bleeding body if she were to survive. They did not care about the jewel being in Shippo's hands now, nor did they mind the other demons in the fight escaping; all that mattered was the life of Kagome not leaving this world. But it was hard to carry her. She stirred in pain, he could only hold her a certain way without causing more pain, and she did not want to be carried. She would rather walk.

Sesshomaru followed the pack with Rin and Jaken hot on his tail on top of Ah-Un. Inuyasha could not out-run Sesshomaru, naturally, but he did not want to reach the village first to possible scare the villagers of his presence. After all, he held a fair amount of power around different lands. He could hear the cries of the girl and the whispers of Inuyasha and found there was no sign of the dead priestess. _Odd entity, that woman_, he thought.

Sango and Miroku flew down to Sesshomaru, who was already racing at a rushing speed to begin with, and started speaking to him. "Lord Sesshomaru!" Sango called out to him. His eyes met hers. "Is there a reason why you are still following us? Naraku has passed on!" Miroku was the next to call out.

"Lady Kagome will be fine, Lord Sesshomaru! We are grateful of your help, but we need none," they moved with him for a moment before coming to a conclusion that they would get no answer. They flew back up towards the sky and Sesshomaru looked towards the half-breed in red. There _was_ no need to follow, but he could smell it.

He could smell the miasma. Naraku must've cut her along with injecting miasma into her bloodstream. At the rate they were running, there would be no need to try to save her: she would already be dead. So how was this woman still awake with so much miasma in her? Sesshomaru sprinted. Why? What was causing him to run for this woman? Was it out of respect?

Perhaps. He had always taken a liking to those that he respected in battle. And this woman had taken out Naraku single-handedly with the power of priestesses. When he caught up to Inuyasha, he noticed the tears in the half-breed's eyes. _Puny weaklings attach emotions to their problems,_ he thought as Inuyasha looked at him. "W-What do you want, you bastard?"

"At the rate you are travelling, the girl's life will expire long before you reach the elder of the village. I suggest you allow me to bring her to the village before we waste time," Sesshomaru replied. Inuyasha, at first, refused to let Kagome go, but when he noticed how she was crying in pain less and less, he had no choice but to hand Kagome over to his half-brother.

"Don't hurt her, Sesshomaru," he was not planning on this, but knew why he said such a thing. The cut was bleeding profusely and was perhaps growing from the top of her neck down to almost the bottom of her back. The jagged edges of this wound were no longer attached to the muscles on her back, making the blood come almost pouring out. Yes, his clothing was stained with the horrible stench of a human, but for honor, he could withstand something like that.

With the air racing past him, he glanced down at the girl in his arms. She still cried from the pain she was upholding and she was now shaking from the amount of miasma rushing through her veins. The village was only seconds away and he feared—he did not fear, but did not want to let her down—he would not make it to the humans in time. "Do not die on me, girl," he whispered. She lifted her head before the pain set in and tried to make eye contact with him.

"Inuyasha?" She was getting delirious: a minor setback in her health. With final dashes through the trees, he made it to the village. Some villagers were downright scared of his presence, but with Kagome in his arms, their minds were at ease about their lives. Sesshomaru looked around for the elder's home and found one near the edge of the village itself; it was Kaede's home. Jumping away from those that did not matter, he instantaneously reached the door and stepped inside.

Kaede looked up from the bonfire and stared at the demon lord. "Lord Sesshomaru?" She noticed Kagome in his arms. "Ah! Kagome!" Kaede rose from the ground and moved a few things around before pointing back to the dirt. "Here, place her down," she whispered. Sesshomaru complied and let the girl rest on her stomach. Kagome squirmed around a bit; she was refusing treatment because of the miasma.

"No, I am fine!" Kaede touched the wound and Kagome squealed in pain. Kaede brought many bandages from behind her and looked up at Sesshomaru.

"Ye are grateful ye can run quickly, Lord Sesshomaru," she began to apply the bandages. The pain was too much for Kagome; she was knocked out from both the amount of blood lost and the pain overcoming her senses. Kaede noticed most of the blood still flowing out of the wound. "Was this from the demon Naraku?"

"Hn," he replied, "this girl had defeated him soon after," Kaede nodded.

"Ah, she had always the power to defeat him," she whispered while applying the bandages. She shook her head. "She is losing too much blood, Lord Sesshomaru," a part of him regretted not realizing the plan Naraku had. Inuyasha stepped into the hut and stepped next to Sesshomaru. He felt the Robe of the Fire Rat grazing his arm and looked down. Now was not the time to fight. Kaede looked up to the brothers.

"Ah, Master Inuyasha!" Kaede pressed down on Kagome's back and blood spilt between the bandages' seams. Inuyasha covered his nose and closed his eyes; his senses could not handle the strong scent of a human as easily as Sesshomaru could stand. Sesshomaru could feel the presences of the other humans, including Rin and Jaken, arriving at the village. He should've left. Instead, he listened to the elder.

"Master Inuyasha, it is looking rather grim. Ye had a tough battle with Naraku. Kagome took most of the hits," Inuyasha walked over to her and knelt before her. Sesshomaru stood with merely his eyes on the girl. "Unless I have more bandages by the setting sun and herbs to heal this terrible wound, ye will not see her breathe again," Inuyasha's eyes widened. Sesshomaru watched as the half-breed rushed out of the hut and out to search for the items. Kaede looked at Sesshomaru.

"Are ye going to aide her, Lord Sesshomaru?" Sesshomaru took another look at Kagome on the ground. She looked so weak and pathetic, in his own right mind. But his beast flared and knew the honorable thing to do was to look for her saving grace. He grunted.

"Hn," and turned away from Kaede. He would not rush like Inuyasha had already done, but he would take his time to find things that would heal her the fastest. He did not find it right to see her die by an awful half-breed, especially one named Naraku. So when he exited the hut, he made no conversation with those around; he only found it necessary to help another in battle.

* * * *

Sesshomaru looked down at the girl lying on his lap; she was fast asleep again. She must've fallen back into her dream when he started the story. He picked the small girl up and placed her back on the cold ground; it was not lovely, but it was enough that he could do without having the girl become attached to him.

He leaned against the rocks in the cavern. Had he known about the plan of Naraku, things would not have played out as they did back then. How would he tell the girl with the wound on her back about the things that unfolded on that day? Surely she really did not want to know about the extents of her injury. "Sesshomaru," he turned to the darkness in the cave and saw Kagome sitting against the rocks.

How long was she listening? He merely stared at her and noticed the pain she was experiencing once more. "Could you continue?"

"For what reasons, girl?" She frowned.

"I was the one injured, and I would like to know your perspective of that day. I'd rather hear two sides of the story," _So,_ he thought, _Inuyasha had told her the story of his travel to save her. His efforts were futile, however._ She rose from her part of the cavern and walked to him. Soon enough, she was sitting next to him and leaning against the rocks with him.

"What did his details involve?" She looked up at him with her sleepy eyes and smiled.

"Panic and instilled fear, including the realization he forgot all about Kikyo during that time as well. I think we both know what he did," Sesshomaru bowed his head and couldn't disagree with her, "So, please," she looked at him with a pleading look. He knew this look too well with Rin around. "may you continue?" He nodded. For some reason, human women had an effect on him, in which he could only say yes.

"I may," he felt a hand land on top of his and he looked down. Somehow, he did not mind. For her, it was comforting, and for him? Well, he could not place the feeling. "Inuyasha went to the East, I to the West," and he continued.

* * * *

Sesshomaru knew the herbs around the West more than any other demon or human. He would obtain these herbs first before heading towards any village for bandages. Searching each field, he found little supply from the herbs. They were strong, yes, but they would not suffice from the wound she had. So farther into the West he went.

From what he gathered, the East was scamp on herbs, but had plenty of bandages. It was the opposite for the West, so it was the only reason why he trusted his lands. But why was it so hard to find the herbs? They were recently picked from the ground, as if someone had already gone through the fields minutes earlier to grab what was left. He looked at the bundles he had. He had to go further to find more fields, more that no one else had known about.

So he dashed through the different forests to reach these opened lands. The smell for anyone would be intoxicating, as the flowers were blooming at rapid rates and the pollen in the air had always irritated his nose. _There is a reason why this field is always far away from me,_ he thought. An abundance of herbs were found in the middle of this field. Would he dare step through these flowers to help a puny human?

She had shown herself in battle, however, that she was no ordinary human, but a fearful priestess. So with each step did he crush more flowers. And with each step did the wind decide to gust through to blow the pedals away. He glanced down at the herbs and felt the soft feelings of the different textures graze his fingertips and took more for this girl. He had not bothered to know her name; she was merely a girl, much like Rin.

With the amount he had, it was enough for the wound to start healing. He took a few flowers from the field as well, perhaps for Rin. The girl would certainly find these unnecessary for her road to recovery. When he looked up to the setting sun, he knew it was only a matter of time before she would die. Another presence was with him in the field. "Ah, Lord Sesshomaru, it has been so long," he turned to the woman and growled.

"Kagura," He placed the bundle of herbs into his belt and stared at the woman. She noticed the blood on his clothing and held her fan up to her face. It was a disgusting smell.

"You should clean yourself, Sesshomaru," she held out the herbs he could not find before. So she was the woman that he faintly smelt in the gardens. "I would've given you the precious herbs you wanted if you were not so filthy, dog," His beast flared and she smiled. Soon after,

"Is this for that girl, Kagome?" So that was her name. "Even you should know not to meddle with human lives. Have you not learned your lesson with that worthless ward of yours?" He unsheathed his Bakusaiga and she laughed. "I am not here to fight anymore. It's something to think about," and away she went into the sky. She was a free woman, after all, and she owed it all to that girl.

The wind died and he quickly sheathed his sword. He pulled the herbs from his belt and looked at the little amount he had compared to Kagura. _She will meet her demise, _he thought as he placed the healing herbs back into his belt. When he began to walk back to the village, he noticed the night sky ahead of him. Was the sun already gone? He turned to the West and saw the orange sky melding with the dark blue. It was almost time. So he dashed.

He knew he could make it before the sun would set. It was a small race he was willing to take and challenged the sun anyway. He dodged tree after tree, keeping away from any paths that humans may take in order to not scare them, and saw the fire from the village far ahead. He could still only smell the fields from before and could not let the lavender smell escape his nose.

The villagers all around were praying in different shrines for the life of Kagome to be spared. Miroku, too, was at one shrine with Sango and he could tell the girl was crying. He noticed the small fox demon leaning against a tree, staring at the almost defiled jewel in his hands. How was he not affected by the jewel's power? He dashed on, dodging more villagers and their shrines to save one life. One, and it did not matter to him.

The elder's hut was bright with a fire inside. He could see a shadow moving inside, frantically trying to save her life. He could not find Inuyasha, but it was only because of the strong scent of lavender. When he entered the hut, he found Kaede with an abundance of bandages, but no herbs to use. She looked up from the ground.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Have you any herbs for Kagome?" He pulled the herbs from his belt and her face lit up with relief. "Ah, this should be enough for her. Inuyasha could not gather any," Sesshomaru had an assumption, but figured it was not necessary to ask her. Kaede took the bundle and untied the small string he used to keep them in place. He looked down at Kagome.

The blood that was coming from her had already made a puddle on the ground. Could she feel anything? He looked at her face; her eyes were closed, her breathing heavy. Kaede took another bandage off of her back and Sesshomaru saw more skin come off of her back. "I do not know if she will survive, but she has a chance, thanks to ye," Sesshomaru knew his efforts would not be in vain. He would not let anyone die unless otherwise.

He turned to leave when he heard Kaede speak once more. "Lord Sesshomaru, have ye anything to say to her?" he turned back towards the two and stared at Kagome. She would need another priestess or priest to get rid of any miasma left in her body, as well as someone to administer the herbs on her wound and close the scar up. But he could not say that to a human.

He turned back to the door and said, "I use no words to speak to humans. She is no exception," and he was out the door. Rin and Jaken ran to him—although Rin was terrified of the amount of blood on his clothing—and he did not stop. He would leave once Inuyasha arrived with the dead woman. The girl inside would assume Inuyasha saved her life, not him. After all, he was an assassin, and he did not save lives. The villagers prayed and he walked into the shadows with his wards.

* * * *

Kagome opened her eyes and looked at him. He had no expression on his face and he did not care to look at her. "I will not go more into detail after that, assuming that you know the rest from the half-breed," she nodded and let her hand leave his. He forgot it was there. She turned to him and asked:  
"Why did you leave soon after? Did you not want me to know about you having some kind of human quality?" He looked at her with his piercing eyes and she closed her mouth. _Good going, Kagome. Now he probably wants to kill you,_ she thought as he turned his head towards her.

"Human quality?" She nodded.

"You were generous to save my life. What brought you to the point where you wanted to save me?" He made no expression after that comment.

"Respect," he said. She shrugged. She would not know why it was out of respect—maybe because she killed Naraku?—but knew it was a pretty good reason. "and," he continued. She listened. "because of the half-breed not wanting to save you," she frowned. Yes, it was something she had to live with since he told her that.

She let her hand rest on top of his—this time he flinched—and she smiled. "Well, I thank you, Sesshomaru," he nodded and she looked down to their hands, "because, if it weren't for you, well, I would not be here," she whispered. He could not disagree with that notion and nodded again. She squeezed his hand—he noticed how human women do this for reliance. "Maybe," she lightly whispered. She looked up at him and smiled. "Maybe Rin and I are growing on you," she released her grasp on his hand and rose.

He watched her walk back into the darkness and listened to the words she said once more. _Growing on me? _He wondered what that could possibly mean. Was he really becoming soft to his wards? His beast was enraged, but he knew it would be wrong to harm the girl in front of Rin if she were to wake. He looked at his hand and examined his nails. He could kill in one swipe and never speak of the matter again. But he could not bring himself to do it: it would be wrong. Then he wondered:

When was he ever wrong?

**OH GOODNESS I UPDATED.**

**Sorry for the long wait. I had a family emergency last week and this week was my birthday, so I couldn't find the time to sit down and type anything. Finally worked on this baby for two days straight and FINISHED. In your faces.**

**So, this is the first chapter Sesshomaru starts to change. Kagome will, too, don't worry. She'll turn around sometime in the next...couple? chapters. At least he has yet to feel love, right?! AMIRITE?! Then again, I think Kagome was joking around with Sesshomaru at the end. Who's with me on this one!?**

**Also, who else thinks that second part of the flashback sucks? I DO.**

**Sorry if the flashbacks are too..long? That's it for the flashbacks for a while, actually. You probably won't hear anymore about Naraku's battle until that final shard comes around (I WONDER WHO HAS IT! Go ahead: guess!).  
I thought this chapter was the thirteenth xD WHOOPS. Oh well. I'm still on schedule for my plot/story.**

**I want to reply to a review that I received about three days ago. I don't remember who it was or if it was anonymous, but it had something to do with "Kikyo bashing." I don't bash other characters, unless it's painfully obvious. I've read a lot of fanfictions here that do this in plain sight! "KIKYO'S A WHORE", "THAT WHORE KIKYO", "THAT DEAD SON OF A BITCH KIKYO", "DUMB KIKYO", "STUPID KIKYO", "KIKYO HAS NO CLASS, OBVIOUSLY", and I could go on.**

**What I am doing is trying to build character, actually. I took her earlier character traits from WAY back in the anime and am trying to build it into something else. I might just leave her like that, I don't know. Ha-ha. But, please, please, please don't think I'm bashing any characters. As much as I hate her in the anime, I am doing my best to make her a crucial character like she is in the anime--without the hate.**

**WITH THAT SAID, you should review! You'll get a wonderful answer like that one and you could get your questions answered, too! My next reply to all reviews will be the fifteenth chapter (OMGOMGOMGOMG) so hand them in before then!**

**Thank you to my readers and remember to review! I'll love you all if you do 8)**

**Until next time!**

**TLS**


	13. Chapter 13 : Unwanted Feelings

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**NOTE: First half of the chapter is with Kikyo/Inuyasha. Second half is with Sesshomaru/Kagome/Shippo/Rin/Jaken, ha-ha. Too many characters!**

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* * *

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_Last time, on Blossoms into Love..._

_"Maybe Rin and I are growing on you."_

_'Growing on me?'_

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* * *

_

"What was it that attracted her to you?" Inuyasha turned to Kikyo, who was healing her wounds from previous battles while soul stealers surrounded her pale body. The hut inside was as dark as the outside light, and it was not going to get much brighter until a few hours passed by. It was the first words muttered by someone _directed at_ him for a while now, and since Sango and Miroku were not talking to him, it was somewhat pleasing to hear words.

Then again, he did not want to talk about his relationship with Kagome. It was not mutual, however she thought it was. Kikyo blinked. "Inuyasha?" He started to recollect different memories with Kagome. God, they had been through a lot since their start of their journey, but it was never about the friendship or them staying together; it was merely for the satisfaction of getting the job done.

"I wasn't attracted to her, Kikyo," she tilted her head in confusion. Why, sure he was. He sighed and leaned against the wall of the hut. If he could take back the past week or two, he would. He never wanted to see Kagome cry, in pain, bloodied, almost dead, nothing. He wanted to see her happy, a free woman, and being protected. "It was never about attraction," it was always about their friendship.

She was the one that saved him from the spell _Kikyo_ put him in; she gave him Tetsuseiga; she made many jewel shards accounted for from the journey they had from the past year. Hell, if it wasn't for her, he wouldn't be awake. He could be still stuck to that tree, or perhaps torn apart by a demon passing through the forest. "No, I was never attracted to her," and he wasn't.

As much as he hated to admit it, no one could take his heart again. It belonged to Kikyo and only Kikyo, much like how his own father fell for his mother, Izayoi. He could never hurt those two women that he respected so much, but why could he hurt Kagome? "So what was it, Inuyasha?" Kikyo asked. Inuyasha looked at her.

"Friendship," he easily replied. He didn't have to think twice about that. But, he was still troubled by the fact that when he was a demon, he could hurt Kagome. Why? What was it about her that made his beast angered and wasn't angered by Kikyo? What about his mother? Sango? Kaede? He glanced down at his bloodied claws—he couldn't bring himself to wash the dry blood he spilt from her body.

"So she is nothing more than a jewel detector?" That wasn't it. He couldn't just say that she was just a jewel shard gatherer so he could turn into a demon.

He shook his head: "No, I'd never degrade her like that," Why? This was going to bother him, yes, but it was not right. He had known Sango for a lesser time! What the hell!

Kikyo felt warmth from souls enter her body; it was healing well. "Then," she whispered, "how did you two meet again?" Inuyasha blinked and went back to that time.

"She saved me from the spell you put me through, Kikyo," he whispered back. He was grateful for her, but he never thanked her. He only pushed her around to find the shards and travel with him. What had he done?

Kikyo then asked: "Are you thankful for her?" As much as he wanted to say no, he couldn't.

"Yes," he whispered. Kikyo did nothing but sit there in the silence they created. He could feel his heart breaking with each hour that passed without his sidekick, as she liked to call him.

_"Inuyasha, you're my sidekick in crime!" He looked at her in confusion. What the hell was a sidekick? "Or, maybe you're the hero and I'm the sidekick!" Sango and Miroku also looked at her in confusion; Shippo was the only one smiling and laughing with her. _

_"Oi! What is a 'sidekick'? Or a 'hero', for that matter?!" Kagome continued to laugh with Shippo and turned to all of them. _

_"A sidekick is someone that helps the hero—that'd be you, Inuyasha—for fighting bad guys! The hero saves people, and the sidekick helps!" Inuyasha realized what she was saying and nodded. So, he was a hero, eh? He smiled and posed for all of them. Kagome laughed even harder and Shippo ridiculed him of his pose._

_"Inuyasha, you're stupid!" A fight ensued, followed by a subdued Inuyasha stuck in the dirt. Kagome looked down into the hole and smiled. "Although, heroes are not supposed to get injured by the sidekick," Inuyasha growled, and muttered profanities into the dirt. He'd show her!_

He pondered about grabbing firewood, but figured it would be a nightmare wandering through that forest again. Kikyo moved towards him and leaned against his left arm. "So you do not love her?" Was it love? Maybe in a different light it was love. After all, he had to try and uphold his promise from before.

_"I'll be here when you get back, just like this,"_ and he felt his ears droop. He failed to fulfill that promise, and now she was gone. With Sesshomaru, no less, which made him angry to the core. How the hell does that bastard get his hands on _his_ Kagome?! He _despised_ humans—except for that odd girl that travelled with him—and would rather kill the vermin than love them! Ha, a despicable thought: Sesshomaru, loving…

Could he see himself loving? He is half-human, after all, but half of him can't decide who should be his mate. He couldn't answer that question for Kikyo, though. "I don't know," he whispered. The soul stealers left, and the last light inside carried away into the night sky. Kikyo looked up at the saddened expression on his face.

"But you miss her," she commented. He could only nod.

"We have been through many conflicts, her and I," he stated. They had, because of those jewel shards. If she wouldn't have travelled through the well, or met him, for that matter, her life would be _normal_. Perhaps it was really his fault for making her go through these hardships, but he wasn't going to blame himself. Not yet, at least.

"Do you wish her back in the group?" What could he say? Was she testing him on his love for Kikyo? Or was this a test for her to know whether she could hurt Kagome? Whatever it was, he was speaking as honest as he could, for the time being. He glanced down at the blood on his hands.

"I wish for time to go back so I did not hurt her," he whispered. Kikyo looked at his hands and realized the blood still there. Was he guilty? He did not feel guilty for hurting her, but felt a tinge of regret taint his heart. God, what was going on with him?

"But do you wish for her to be back?" Was she safe? He did not know. Sesshomaru took her, that bastard. He wished he could go out and just search for Sesshomaru so he could kill him, then take Kagome back. He deserved no soft heart like Kagome's, especially after what he had done the past century. Was this revenge for taking Father's sword? He did not know.

Something was up, though, with Sesshomaru. He had never seen him that aggravated with protecting a _human woman_. It was new for everyone around, for that matter. The blood beckoned him to answer her question. Did he _really_ want her back?

"Yes," he whispered. He couldn't lie. He missed her so much, and wanted her to always be by his side. _"Will you be by my side, Kagome?" _he remembered asking her that. _"I'll always be by your side, forever_" was what she replied with. So where was she? Could she not keep a promise as well?

Kikyo closed her eyes. Then it would be another day for her to ask another question. Inuyasha looked down at Kikyo and felt his ears drop even lower than they were at the time. He missed the warmth Kagome had, the smile she graced so his day would be a bit brighter, and definitely missed the food she had for him.

He missed her.

* * * *

Kagome and Shippo were just outside of the cavern. They could hear Rin's laughter echo inside the cave from stressing Jaken out for being a small demon. And, they could certainly hear the squawking of Jaken mixed with Rin's laughter, as well as the pain he felt when Sesshomaru would throw his voice to the two wards. They, however, were lying under the stars and gazing at the universe above to take in the sparkling Heavens.

Shippo looked at Kagome. "Hey, Kagome," she looked over at him. She felt extremely sorry for him, after what he had been through with Kikyo and Inuyasha the past week or so. She would find a way to make it up to him, however she could. "Do you still love Inuyasha?"

Sesshomaru's ears twitched; had the girl fallen in love with the half-breed? She had travelled over many lands the past year she had made it through the well, but he did not know about their feelings for each other. Were they mutual? By the way Inuyasha had acted, he did not think so. Then again, he would not care to feel remorse for either person, so he went back to watching his own two wards.

Kagome turned her attention back to the stars. _Now that he mentions it_, she thought. What was she feeling for Inuyasha, now that he had attacked her, injured her, and almost killed her? _Well, Kikyo is really to blame, but he does have a conscience,_ she thought again. Sesshomaru looked to the little group outside and noticed her in deep thought about it. His attention diverted back to Rin. What was this _love_ humans held for a worthless gem?

How many times did Inuyasha save her? It was a countless number. Hell, he would probably still try to save her, even if he hated her. She had a feeling his love for her was not as strong as hers towards him, but she was a wishful thinker. Just thinking about something like _that _made her cry and a tear want to escape. Shippo looked up at the skies again and held his hands over his mouth.

"I'm sorry Kagome! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings! We can forget that I asked it!" Kagome shook her head. She really wanted to answer his question, since he was a dear friend to both Inuyasha and herself.

"N-No, Shippo, it's okay," She wiped the tears away and whispered, "just give me a minute," Shippo frowned and nodded with her. He felt so guilty for asking her such a stupid question! Sesshomaru hinted at the smell of salt and his nose twitched. How he despised that smell, especially from Rin.

She had been through so much with Inuyasha. From the beginning when she woke him from the spell to the very last battle they had with Naraku, it was all worth it. Sure, he had to save her so many times before she found a way to defend herself, but she knew he didn't mind protecting her. And when he did protect her and save her life, it was then that she found more reasons to love him.

When was it that she first fell in love with him? Was it when Sesshomaru had threatened her life for taking the Tetsuseiga from the stone? Perhaps that was it; after all, without Inuyasha there—or, rather, with Inuyasha as healthy as he could be without being knocked out—she would've been a goner. She turned her head up towards the cavern and noticed Sesshomaru watching the two wards inside. Had he changed?

She looked back to the skies. Was the feeling still there? Yes, it hurt just thinking about Inuyasha, much less talking about him. She had not talked about the half-demon in over a few days, not since Sesshomaru told her about the rest of the struggle to keep her alive. _I should really be thanking Sesshomaru for saving me this past time,_ she took a mental note for herself. She placed her hand over her chest.

Kagome felt her heart beat against the ribcage. Did she love Inuyasha? Her heart began to race. Judging by her heart's reaction, she was, but in her mind, it was a different story. After what she had been through between Inuyasha and Kikyo, especially seeing them together in the hut, it broke her heart. She couldn't help but start to cry again, and Shippo looked at Kagome.

He felt terrible! And Kagome knew this! She had to stop. She looked over at him and smiled. As much as she hated to say it, she couldn't lie to the little demon. "Yes," she whispered. Shippo was shocked. How could she!? After what she had been through?

Even Sesshomaru could not help but become amazed at the girl's confession. She had been put through Hell with the dead woman and the half-breed, and yet she still loved him? _Absurd humans find no means to control their emotions_, he thought as he watched Rin run around Jaken to dizzy him. How was it that she still loved him?

Shippo jumped up from his spot. "But he almost killed you, Kagome!" Shippo exasperated almost immediately after that statement. There was more to it than that, however. After all the time spent building her love, after all of the lovely memories she had with him, and after the time she was saved by her one and only—well, maybe not anymore—she couldn't help have the feeling of love.

"Shippo," she whispered. Shippo shook his head.

"No! Kagome, you can't love him anymore!" Kagome knew this was going to hurt him, especially since he was so attached to her. She felt Shippo fall on top of her stomach and hug her for deal life. "You just can't!" He was crying with her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "but because I've been with him for so long, I can't help but love him." She rubbed the top of his head and she sat up. He immediately wrapped his arms around her neck and cried into her shoulder. Was he crying for her?

"Kagome…" he whined before crying again. He knew how much this saddened her, and she knew this as well. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him.

"Shippo, I've spent so much time with him and built too many memories to just push him out of my life. I know he almost killed me, and I know he attacked me for some blatant reason, but love doesn't work like that. I can't just forget him, nor can I just stop loving him. It will take time," she whispered, "and time will heal all wounds," and Shippo nodded. He could only hope.

Sesshomaru noted the two of them under the stars and sighed. What was it with weak creatures that they had to cry? He only had one moment in time for tears, but it was only because of the emotional drive he was going through with his mother, especially the attachment he had with her. "Lord Sesshomaru?" He looked down at Rin. "What is it?" He shook his head, and she sat down in front of him. Jaken ran over and yelled to Rin.

"Rin! You do not need to annoy Lord Sesshomaru when he is in deep thought! You annoying little girl!" She turned to the green imp and they were at it again. Would Rin be like this in years to come?

Kagome pulled Shippo away from her body and held him up in the air. She smiled. "You don't need to cry for me, Shippo!" He wiped some of the tears away.

"B-But I can't help it! It's irritating that you still love him, but I know you hate that!" It was true; she really didn't want to love Inuyasha anymore, but her heart was still holding on for dear life.

She set him down on the ground and touched his nose; he always smiled when she did that. "I'll be fine, Shippo. It will take time and we have all the time in the world for my heart to perhaps fall in love again," Shippo nodded. It was wishful thinking again, all thanks to Kagome, but he would always believe in what she believed in, especially love.

She deserved any kind of affection, after all.

**Short chapter, alright! This is the shortest chapter besides the first one. It's only...2700 words? Good lord! I guess I couldn't go more into Inuyasha/Kagome's relationship, could I? Oh well. **

**Part two of this chapter sucked (Kagome/Shippo). I think I focused more on Inuyasha than anything else! Ah, whoops.**

**Who else thought Kagome still loved Inuyasha!? ANYONE!?**

**I tried to accommodate more of Rin and Jaken in this. Somehow, that didn't work, so I'll try next chapter to get them into the story more. Sango and Miroku will show up...sometime xD I haven't decided when they'll come around, but they aren't important characters to the story. At all. So, if you're fans of those two, uh, you won't be seeing much of them. **

**New characters will be showing up soon! I'm excited. ARE YOU!? One character, my FAVORITE, will be arriving either in the 15th or the 16th chapter. I haven't decided, but I'm going to make them have a grand entrance (maybe). Who knows!**

**Question: have any of you read my one-shot "Game of Tag", starring Sesshomaru and Kagome? It's the latest craze! (I'm not trying to self-promote myself, ha-ha) Actually, I don't know whether I should turn that into a story or not once I'm done with this story (IT MIGHT BE A WHILE HA-HA) so if you can, please give your opinions on that little thought! And on that note...**

**Thank you to all my lovely reviewers! I would like to apologize to lilyrose225. I was not trying to yell at you! D8 I don't know if you took it that way (you apologized for being rude! Nooooo, don't apologize to me! I was just trying to clear up the air, that's all!) but I would like to apologize! I saw your review earlier this week and I felt so bad! I wanted to message you on here, but it showed you not having an account on here, so I couldn't! Again, my apologies for sounding rude about your question! I mean no harm 8D I'll reply to your past review, though, in the next couple chapters, so maybe that'll be my apology letter? Ha-ha. I don't know.**

**But thank you again for the lovely reviews from last chapter! It seemed a lot of you liked that chapter (really?), but that might be because of Sesshomaru's character changing. WHATEVER, I still want to thank you guys 8D**

**Thank you again! Review and I'll...buy cookies for you (I can't cook).**

**Until next time!**

**TLS**


	14. Chapter 14 : Dangerous Game

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

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_Last time, on Blossoms into Love..._

_"Kagome, do you still love Inuyasha?"_

_"Yes."_

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_

"Lady Kagome!" Rin shouted into the cavern. Sesshomaru's ears twitched in pain as the little girl continued to shout and scream at the top of her lungs. She was in no danger, so why was she constantly yelling? She looked over to Sesshomaru. "Ah, Lord Sesshomaru! Have you seen Lady Kagome around?" Seen?

"No," he quickly replied. Her scent was nearby, there was no doubt about that, but she had not been around the cavern for quite some time. Rin sighed and turned towards the forest. From there, she ran down the grassy knoll towards the bundle of bushes below and continued to yell her name. Jaken stepped away from the cavern and yelled towards Rin.

"Rin! You foolish girl, do not run down there by yourself!" Rin turned around and smiled.

"Ah, Master Jaken! Do you want to help Rin find Lady Kagome?" Find? Sesshomaru looked around the forest. That girl could not have been lost, for she was only a few feet inside the forest. Jaken began to squawk again but Rin intervened. "We're playing a game! She's hiding from Rin and Rin cannot find her! Rin hopes she's okay!" Rin turned back towards the forest and searched every bush in the area.

Sesshomaru detected no human blood spilt on his lands nor had he smelt any difference in the girl's scent. Something about this "hiding" intrigued Sesshomaru, for maybe this girl was indeed smart enough to venture more into the forest, in hopes of winning the game. Then again, he dared not meddle with human pastimes, for they were meaningless and preposterous. He slunk more into the cavern until he heard a scream.

_Rin_ raced through his mind as he turned towards the forest. She was near a bush close to where the girl was and was panicking at the sight of something. His claws turned green and he leapt from the cavern's entrance. Needless to say, Jaken was blown away by the amount of wind and Rin felt the calming wind protect her. He cut the top of the bush clean off. "Lord Sesshomaru! Kill it! Kill it!" He found nothing that could possibly threaten her. What was scaring her?

He looked inside and saw little mushrooms staring up at him. It was the little fox demon. He turned to Rin, who was scared out of her mind, then back to the fox demon. Shippo changed back to his original form and smiled up to Sesshomaru. "Ah! You found me!" Rin calmed down and ran towards the bush. She smiled in return.

"Ah! Shippo! Rin did find you!" Shippo happily nodded and Sesshomaru let his nails change back. If the fox demon was there, where was the other girl?

"Are you still looking for Kagome?" Both Sesshomaru and Rin looked down at Shippo and he smiled. "I know you probably picked up her scent, Sesshomaru, but she put a lot of it on me!" Her scent was oddly close, now that he thought about it. "She's somewhere in the trees!" Rin began to look up towards the sky and scan each of the trees.

"Lady Kagome!" How long would this game last? Sesshomaru jumped to the nearest tree and landed on one of the branches. He scanned the surrounding trees and found no clue as to where she was. _This girl will be the death of all of us if she does not come forth,_ he thought as his beast began to flare again. It, itself, was determined to find this girl, if it was the last thing it wanted to do. He inhaled a small amount of air—there was no traces of the girl. So she barricaded herself. _The girl is powerful enough to hide herself from danger,_ he thought.

From there, he jumped again to different trees, trying to find some clue to the girl. There was still nothing, until he found a pinkish glow coming from the far end of the trees. He did not hesitate and jumped from tree to tree, trying to reach this light. Rin was right below this light, but she saw nothing? When Sesshomaru closed in on his target, he noticed the light coming from the jewel itself; it had to be the girl. His nails glowed green and he unleashed his attack. It was deflected, obviously, but an outline of a person became known.

Kagome turned around at the attack and saw an annoyed Sesshomaru standing in a tree close by. She sighed. Rin was supposed to find her, not Sesshomaru! She looked down at the girl and noticed Rin walking in a different direction. Maybe this was cheating, but it was a little fun confusing someone. "Why do you hide?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagome turned around and noticed Sesshomaru almost to the point of touching her barrier. If he did, it would certainly burn him!

She rose and leaned against the trunk of the tree. "It's a game, Sesshomaru!" So it was a game. She smiled and told him how to play. "It's simple, really. Someone counts to ten and another goes and hides. The person who counted to ten then runs around to find the person! Then, when they find said person, then they get to count and the other gets to hide!" Kagome let down her barrier and he finally got her scent back.

It almost calmed him, for some reason. Was it because of his beast? "Sorry if I had caused some trouble," she added. Sesshomaru jumped onto the same branch she was on and she blinked. "Okay, you really don't need to punish me for the inconvenience if that's what you're aiming to achieve," she rebutted.

"There would be no merit in punishing a human. Humans that live are already punished," he replied. _He is just a ball of fun today, isn't he?_ She sighed and shrugged. What was it about humans that made him detest them in every way possible? Was it because of Inuyasha's mother? And, if that were the case, was Rin an exception? Sesshomaru noticed her struggling with a reoccurring thought and said: "You are in distress," she blinked. _How did he know?!_

She nodded. "Y-Yes, well, I was only wondering why you hate humans so much. There's nothing wrong with them, actually. I mean, I'm a human, and I don't think I—" she felt Sesshomaru's arm graze the left side of her head and heard the bark snap at the collision it made with his nails. Was she going to fight? Sesshomaru growled.

"There are many things to hate about humans. You are no exception, nor is Rin a special human. You are all the same," he fought with his beast. It was no lie, either, as he did despise all humans that roamed the lands. They were creatures that needed to be exterminated in the end.

"So," Kagome whispered, "what is your reason why humans should die?" it was not helping that he had already thought her life was worthless and not powerful enough to save. She heard the bark behind her snap even more; what was that bad that made him this angry? He leaned forward into her more personal bubble and growled. She didn't know if she was going to die, and didn't know whether to use any of her powers. _Should I?_

"Blame," he growled. Her heart skipped a beat. "that half-breed," he leaned away from Kagome and she leaned towards him that time. What was she doing? Something in the way he said that intrigued her in the slightest bit and she looked into his almost blood-red eyes. He growled again and felt his claws almost want to take her head. She squinted and noticed how he was almost fighting with himself. She smiled and hit the top of his shoulder.

"Well, duh! Always blame Inuyasha!" He blinked. Was this girl testing his emotions? She sighed and put her hands on her hips in defiance to his behavior. "So why are you trying to kill me, Sesshomaru?!"Was this girl trying to one-up him?! _Know your place_, he thought as he growled towards her. She did not back down. "I'm agreeing with you that Inuyasha should be blamed for your hatred, and for mine! God, you are so egotistic!" She was not angry, no, but the way he always acted always annoyed!

He was almost taken aback. The nerve of this girl! He nudged Kagome, which made her hit the trunk of the tree, and growled as loud as he could without disturbing Rin below. Kagome stiffened against the tree and felt Sesshomaru push himself on her. What the hell was he doing? She couldn't help but blush. _God, he is so close to me! _What was he going to do?

Then, he turned around and swiped his hand towards the forest. Kagome just stood in shock at what had just happened and heard Sesshomaru growl. "Show yourself, demon," he whispered. Demon? She peeked around his body and noticed an already wounded demon standing on one of the branches in a different tree. Rin looked up at the trees and smiled.

"Lady Kagome!" She looked down and saw the smiling face of Rin welcoming her. "Rin finally found you!" Rin blinked. "Ah, but Lord Sesshomaru found you first!" Rin clapped in excitement and Kagome nodded. Sesshomaru looked down at his human ward and Kagome noticed how his eyes was now back to normal.

"Rin," he stated. She nodded and ran off. She knew when trouble was near just from his behavior. The demon started to laugh and Sesshomaru focused on it with his red eyes again. How was he able to do that?

The demon inhaled a large amount of air. He exhaled and a malicious smile graced his face. "Ah, I can smell the delicious jewel in this forest. That human girl," venom dripped from the fangs of the demon and Kagome was flustered. _Gross! _"she has it. And Lord Sesshomaru," Sesshomaru did nothing, "protecting the jewel? Or is it the scrumptious skin of the human girl you are after?" Sesshomaru growled and snapped.  
"You will not get near her," he rebutted. Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru and heard the demon laugh again. Did he mean that?

"I must try, Lord Sesshomaru. I must, for that girl will be mine, along with the jewel!" The demon leapt from tree to tree towards Kagome and Sesshomaru and she began to worry. _Am I going to die?_ She noticed Sesshomaru bend the slightest bit and jump towards the demon. Soon enough, the head of the demon was taken clean off his body. Sesshomaru turned to Kagome and growled, "Cavern," the red eyes frightened her enough to nod and trust him.

She sat down on the branch and looked down at the ground. Shippo was waiting for her. He transformed into his large, pink bubble and yelled to her: "Jump, Kagome!" So she did. And when she landed, she bounced off of his form. She smiled. Her feet touched the ground and Shippo changed back. "That was close, Kagome!" She nodded.

"Yeah," she looked back up at Sesshomaru, who had disappeared more into the forest, "it was." Soon, an eruption of laughter came from the edge of the forest and many demons came forth. She stepped back in fear and Shippo transformed again. Without a second thought, she hopped on top of Shippo and flew to the sky. One of the demons threw a spear towards her and she managed to dodge it, but it grazed her neck and snapped her necklace in two. The jewel was falling.

"Shippo, the jewel!" She yelled.

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There would be more of them coming from each and every land if that jewel's power was radiating to the Eastern Lands. He scouted the area for any other demons that could be arriving at any moment. There were none. He did feel, however, many demons already passed him and close to the cavern.

How did they manage to sneak by him? And how many were there that made it by him? He sliced through the air and took down a handful of trees. His damn beast was faltering, all because of that human girl. What was it about her that made it so protective. _Humans should not be protected, no matter the danger, _he growled to himself. His beast flared and he began to run towards the cavern against his will.

Whatever it was, it was not needed in his life. He needed to get rid of it.

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Kagome leaned forward and grabbed the jewel. She smiled and felt the power of the jewel radiate in the palm of her hand. _Good,_ she thought, _it's not in the demon's hands,_ and she tried to move back onto Shippo. There was one problem: a circular surface is hard to climb back on, and she was falling through the wind.

Shippo yelled to her, "Kagome!" But he was too slow and wouldn't be able to catch up to her. She was falling into the group of ravenous demons that would gladly rip her apart for the jewel and she couldn't stop herself. She turned her back to them and held the jewel to her chest. _Is this the end of me?_ She closed her eyes and felt her heart quicken.

With more of the space between the demons and herself closing, she thought about her memories in life. She really wished she could be back home and safe in her bed, not almost about to be eaten by demons. _Boy, I am a fool for coming back to Inuyasha for this,_ she laughed to herself. She wanted to go with a smile. She felt a pair of arms grab her; this was it. All movements stopped and she opened her eyes. Maybe if she looked at her killer, she would still smile.

Red eyes bore into her brown eyes. "S-Sesshomaru!?" She felt his grip loosen and she felt her feet touch the ground. He stood in front of her—almost in the same protective stance Inuyasha did for her—and whispered: "Cavern." She furiously nodded and grabbed Shippo from the ground. This time, they were going to make it! She was sure of it! Sesshomaru noticed the demons starting to run after her, but they were quickly stopped by his poisonous whip.

He turned his head and saw the girl enter the cave. For now, she was safe, and he was able to fight in peace. He turned his attention back to the demons—some were wounded by his whip—and felt his nails singe in poison. The demons roared in defiance and began to come after the Lord. Kagome turned back towards Sesshomaru and stood at the entrance. Did he need help?

Suddenly, a spear was thrown in the air and she noticed it coming straight for her. She sidestepped towards the edge of the cavern and the spear embedded itself into the ground. She looked back to the hill and noticed almost a wave of demons getting past Sesshomaru; he could only handle those in his path, which was still quite a number of demons. One ran away from the group and almost made it to the cave and she held out her hands. A barrier came and the demon crashed into her purified powers.

Rin, Jaken, and Shippo stood behind her in fear as she stood there with all of her powers holding them back. The more they hit the barrier, the more her powers diminished. She turned to the wards. "Get back!" They did what they were told and she turned back to the demons. She would not last long at this rate and pushed back with all of her might. Loud booming noises echoed in the cavern as they continued to collide with her barrier—even though those that tried to enter were purified. _Sesshomaru,_ she thought as she held her strength.

With the last demon killed, Sesshomaru heard more demons behind him. And, once he turned, he noticed maybe hundreds of demons at the entrance of the cavern. His beast howled, enraged at the fact that they were trying to get inside—perhaps they were already inside—and was unacceptable of their behavior. To defy a Lord meant instantaneous death, including the defiance against Sesshomaru.

He unsheathed his Bakusaiga and howled. Some demons turned to Sesshomaru, but because of their blind rage towards the jewel, they paid no attention. His fangs grew longer and poked through his mouth while his eyes almost turned a pure blood-red. The sword glowed and his beast attacked. With one swing of his sword, the whole group of demons vanished. More demons from the forest came and began to run up the hill. Sesshomaru stood in front of the barrier and loudly growled. He did not mind the small burns he was receiving.

The demons held their claws out and ran towards Sesshomaru. It would not last as he unleashed Bakusaiga's power and killed nearly every demon. Those that were lucky to survive still ran at him at their top speeds and he quickly sheathed the sword. With his poisonous whip, the rest were taken care of. He was halfway to the cavern at this point when he turned to the cave.

Kagome felt her powers finally giving up. Her eyes were closed in pain and the purplish glow from the barrier dissipated. Shippo ran over to her and looked up at her face; she was sweating. "Kagome?" he whispered. She opened her eyes and started to pant. Her chest started to hurt and she closed her eyes again. She was going to fall. "Kagome!" The jewel—she was holding the string between two of her fingers—fell to the ground and she felt her knees give out.

Sesshomaru stood in front of her and she leaned against him. She was out cold, and all of her powers were gone. _Weak,_ he thought as grabbed the girl and placed her down on the ground. Shippo grabbed the jewel again and went over to Kagome. Her heavy breathing and clammy face were signs of weakness, according to Sesshomaru, and he felt his beast leaving once more. Although this girl angered him she protected his wards. They ran up to him and hugged his leg.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" they both cried. He made sure his eyes were normal, but his mind was not. He picked Kagome up from the ground and made his way into the cavern more. There would be more demons in the area if she was that close to the entrance. He looked down at her when he set her on the ground.

Something about this girl worried him, and the last time he worried was when his mother passed on. He turned to Jaken and Rin, who were ultimately sighing relief out of their systems, and knew something was going to happen. He couldn't pinpoint it, and this perhaps irritated his beast enough. _Leave_, he thought as he felt the sun's rays disappear and the night fall.

All that was left in the cavern were closed eyes of pain and content and heavy breathing from the strenuous day. _This must end._

**AWWW SNAP. I wonder what's going to happen next chapter?! Will Sesshomaru kill Kagome? I THINK SO.**

**Uh, so, I had to speed it up a bit, ha-ha. If it feels a little rushed, sorry, I'm trying my best to pick up the pace on this story. NO, THAT TREE STUFF WAS NOT ROMANCE. I always think that when dogs growl and pounce on you, that's for Alpha status. Sesshomaru feels intimidated by Kagome? GASP. **

**8D So, next chapter, I'm excited. I have EVERYTHING planned out and one of my favorite characters is coming (my all-time favorite will show up soon, too) and man! I can't wait to start writing this chapter now! Ha-ha. Maybe I'll start tonight or something. Wouldn't that be a treat? Having me update three times in one week... (it's only because it's Spring Break. That's all.)**

**One of my readers here reviewed "Game of Tag" right when I was updating this story. It read "I'm just waiting for an update for Blossoms" Ha-ha. It was so weird. Hope you enjoy this update! 8)**

**WITH THAT, you should totally review. I'll give you a high-five! AND! I'm replying to ALL reviews in the next chapter, so if you have questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, WHATEVER, review! I'll totally read and reply to you! I never ignore a review! 8)**

**Although, one reviewer, rick was it? I don't know, he said my story sucked and it was horrible 8( Then I saw other stories that had this same reviewer say the same thing, so I took his review as a grain of salt 8)**

**Review and I'll probably update a whole lot faster! 8)**

**Until next time!**

**TLS**


	15. Chapter 15 : Missing Persons

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Note: There's a dream sequence in this. That's all you really need to worry about.**

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_Last time, on Blossoms into Love..._

_Something about this girl worried him, and the last time he worried was when mother passed on._

_This must end._

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It had been nearly three days since Kagome fell from exhaustion. It had also been three days since Shippo had not left her side for any reason whatsoever. When she slept, he slept, and when she was awake, he was awake. And every time he woke up, she was still sleeping, still trying to conjure enough power to wake up again and smile. So he would sleep some more.

It was generally quiet in the cavern. Sesshomaru and his wards had not made any noises in the past day and some hours, so the peaceful noises of nature entering their ears were, for once, comfortable. From when Shippo did wake up—perhaps to change positions in her embrace or to see if she was awake herself—it was usually either raining or there was light creeping into the cavern. Either way, it was nice to feel a warm breeze come through once in a great while.

There had been no demons near the cavern for the last three days, either. As strange as that may seem, it was true. Kagome was not being attacked by ravenous demons for the jewel, Sesshomaru did nothing but sit in silence from no demons on his lands, and Shippo could not sense any demonic presences nearby—it was odd that Sesshomaru would hide his aura. Overall, it was peaceful.

For Kagome, however, not everything was as peaceful as she planned it to be, especially her dream. Everything was slow-motion, almost feeling as though there would be no time passing by in this dream. On the outside, she looked as though she was resting her body and trying to heal. On the inside, however, she was fighting.

_Next to her was a hourglass not ticking away at time. There were people there around her, people that she knew, but they could not hear her, even when she screamed their names. Her mother, too, would be like this, and talk about her when she was standing only inches away from them. "I wonder if Kagome is okay," she whispered to Souta and Grandpa and Kagome started to cry._

_"I'm fine, Mama! I'm right here!" But she did not turn around and her family disappeared. This was the same with Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kikyo, Kaede, and Kouga. The only ones that remained in this dream was Naraku, Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru. And each one dashed towards her at separate times to take her life. First was Naraku, who gave everything he had in order to destroy her._

_"Do you take me for another weak half-breed that can only be destroyed by your powers, girl?" He lashed another claw at her, then another, then another. After almost a minute of trying to dodge his attacks, she felt her body ring in pain. There was cuts and scrapes all over her arms and legs, as well as gashes gushing out with red blood and staining her new clothing. The hourglass had yet to begin. Naraku began to spin different sized spider webs, and Kagome was caught in one._

_He smirked and began to walk towards the cornered girl. "Dare you try and destroy me now, Kagome?" Before he could make his final move on her (a rather large tentacle was aimed straight for her body) he made a gurgling scream and disappeared once more from her world. Inuyasha stood behind the falling pieces left of the body covered in blood and Kagome escaped from the web. She could not thank him enough for saving her!_

_She began to walk towards her hero. "Thank you so much Inu-" She felt his nails scratch down her arm and create more gashes and wounds for her to worry about. She felt Inuyasha's body against her own and she looked up at his face. Magenta stripes were on his cheeks; his fangs poked from his mouth; there were no golden pupils inside the blood-red eyes of his; death was all over his face. _

_"You," he growled, "are in the way." Kagome shivered; she was terrified of his demonic side, and knew that if he was in this state of mind, his human emotions were now gone. He was hungry for her blood. That was the truth._

_She tried to back away from Inuyasha but found him backhanding her and causing more wounds to appear on her chest. She landed on the darkened floor next to the hourglass once more and she leaned against the clear glass. She could feel the pain control her body and the blood leave at the same time; she was going to die, she knew this. But before Inuyasha could lunge towards her, another entity crashed into his body and Inuyasha disappeared into the darkness._

_Kagome saw the silver haired hero almost escaping into the darkness as well but they stayed. She rose from the darkened ground—for some reason, her blood was not on the ground—and leaned against the glass for support. It would not last long, for her last hero lunged at her and dove into the ground below. She was below him, he was holding her down; she was not struggling, he was. _

_She did not want to open her eyes (she wanted to let the pain subside before she did that) but she had no choice but look at the man holding her back. She could feel his hands holding her shoulders and his legs at the sides of her hips. So when she opened her eyes, she did not expect to see Sesshomaru staring with red eyes, but with the same intensity as though he had golden eyes._

_Indeed he was struggling with himself. His beast did not know what it wanted; it wanted too many things it could not handle. His other side would not know what it wanted; it could not choose. Kagome noticed this and whispered: "What's wrong?" Her strained voice allowed his golden eyes and red eyes to pulsate back and forth, as if Sesshomaru was fighting himself. He leaned closer to her and she closed her eyes. She knew she was going to die, she knew she was going to die…_

_Instead, she felt his warm tongue over one of her wounds on her arm. Her eyes shot open and she looked at Sesshomaru. "Uh, Sesshomaru?" He licked the remnants on his lips and stared down at her again. This time, he had golden eyes. "What are you doing?" He leaned towards her face and she tried to back away. Something made her shiver down her spine and made it all the more curious as to how he was acting._

_"You are wounded," he whispered. Her heart skipped a beat; could he hear her? She nodded._

_"You did not need to lick the wound, though," He continued to stare at her and he released the grip on her shoulders. It still was awkward with him on top of her, but she did not try to move._

_"Indeed. However, it is only necessary to heal those respected," She blinked. Was she respected by the Sesshomaru? She nodded again, but he continued. "Your blood, though," his red eyes were coming back and she watched as the golden pupils faded. "Your blood," he repeated and he leaned toward her a bit more. She did not know what was going to happen._

_He growled and she knew his beast was loose. The darkened ground was making a crunching sound and his nails were being dug into this ground. Suddenly, she did not feel the wind blow, she only felt the speed of the collision crash into her in a blink of the eye. She could hear the crunching noise stop along with the hourglass beginning to tick away at time. She could not speak. Something was in the way._

Kagome's eyes shot open and she gasped a large amount of air in her mouth. as if something was making her breathing stop. She brought her knees to her chest—well, almost, since Shippo's body was in the way—and steadied her breathing. _As if something like that would happen anyway. Naraku is dead,_ she thought as she looked down at Shippo; he was waking again.

When he looked at Kagome, he did not expect two eyes staring back and a smile on her face. He smiled: "Kagome!" He hugged her with all his might and she held him back even tighter. It was the only thing that echoed in the cavern, which worried Kagome, but she could not find the strength to roll over yet; she was still busy with Shippo. "I was worried you weren't going to wake up!"

_You can thank my dream for that_, she thought, but shook it away soon after. "I'll always wake up, Shippo! My heart is still beating," she whispered as she felt a strong wind from behind. It was so warm against her back, yet she was not used to this warmth. It had always been something cold. She still held onto Shippo and he nuzzled against her chest. Yes, this is what he was waiting for, for his mother to hold him again and be at peace.

She felt no demonic aura around. Funny, were all the demons scared away from the attack? "Hey, Shippo?" Shippo looked at her. "How much time has passed?"

"Um, about three days!" Her eyes widened.

"Eh!? Three days?!" Shippo nodded.

"Yes, and the three of them have been very quiet these last two days!" Kagome stared down at Shippo. Now that he mentioned it, there had been no shadows coming from this light, nor were there people blocking the wind—perhaps that was why she thought it was strange to feel warm wind for a change. "You're really the only one that has been making any kind of noises, Kagome." It was true, though: Shippo thought they were weird!

Kagome rolled onto her back and refused to look over at the entrance of the cavern. She wanted to surprise herself. She sat up with Shippo still in her arms and felt a little dizzy. _Well, Kagome, you should've probably eaten something instead of lying around like a doll, _she sighed and looked down at Shippo. He was already looking at the entrance. His eyes were wide. She tiredly glanced over and saw the Tenseiga sitting against a rock producing a blue aura around the cave.

She let her legs do the rest. She first placed Shippo on the ground—he was already running towards the entrance—and rose from her spot. Kagome began to walk and looked at the sword on the rock. It had some note attached—how was he able to produce paper and a writing utensil like that? She could not read the kanji (Shippo would not be able to, either, because of his age) and she picked the sword up.

When she did, the blue aura glowed a brighter color and she felt the wind pick up. Shippo screamed: "Kagome!"She looked down at her son and saw him pointing outside the cave. She ran to him, but once she reached the edge, a demon slammed into the barrier and disappeared. She screamed and fell to the ground.

"She is there!" More demons rammed into the barrier and more disappeared. Shippo ran to the barrier's edge again and watched as hundreds waited on the bottom of the hill and more demons were dispersing into the forest. Kagome held onto the sword for dear life and got back up once more. She could barely notice the change in aura as each demon hit the barrier. It was weakening, and she would have to fight again. "The jewel!" most cried out. "Give us the precious jewel!" She let her hand unconsciously reach for the jewel in her clothing and she backed into the cavern again.

She was on her own and Sesshomaru had abandoned her. There would be no one to save her this time; she would have to find a way out of this. And death was not an option.

* * * *

"Lord Sesshomaru? What is that noise?" He knew. That girl had touched the Tenseiga—he told her not to—and now the demons were attacking. It was a faint noise off in the distance from whence they came, but he would do nothing. He could smell her strong scent still carrying from the cavern and his beast wanted to hold onto that much, but he had to keep moving. Something about her weakened his senses.

Jaken looked over at the girl and began to yell. "Foolish girl! It's just lousy demons! They are far away!" Rin smiled and thanked Jaken—to him, it was embarrassing. Sesshomaru paid no attention to their conversation any longer and felt the afternoon sun just above their heads. They would have to camp soon so Rin could rest; he would have to rest his mind, as well.

When the girl passed out and Sesshomaru was left with his wards again, he knew in the back of his mind that they had to leave, or else their own lives would be in danger. His beast, although a strong part of Sesshomaru's tactics, refused to leave and Sesshomaru had to fight the thing within in order to leave! He was stronger than that, he knew that much. _A foolish girl like her will only allow these lands to be in constant turmoil. _He could not help but wonder if the girl would survive the attacks and he let his head turn towards the cavern in the distance.

Indeed, he could see the blue aura from his father's sword flickering ahead. The only reason to leave the sword there was because he was not needing it anymore, and the girl needed protection for the time being before she would wake again. He just did not know the girl would be that much protected by a barrier, no less. _Father, is this your doing?_ Sesshomaru turned back around and continued to walk, along with Rin and Jaken. A certain noise twitched his ears and he quickly turned toward the cavern.

The only thing different was the demon ahead of him. "Ah, Lord Sesshomaru," it said, "are you leaving that Kagome alone after all?" He growled.

"Kagura," he unsheathed his Bakusaiga and she let her weapon fan out once more. Jaken and Rin left the midst of the battleground and moved as far away as possibly behind Sesshomaru. She smiled and made a step toward Sesshomaru (she was still very far away from him).

"You helped the girl recover from that wound and-" Sesshomaru spoke.

"Her wound had recovered on its own," she grunted and smiled.

"Not without the help of you," Sesshomaru growled once more and continued to listen to Kagura speak. She was not afraid of him. "So what was the reason you left her behind?" Sesshomaru aimed his sword at her and heard his beast scream and yell inside of him.

"She is merely a human. All humans should never walk with demons," Kagura chuckled and shook her head.

"Do you honestly think I would believe that? Why is your ward still with you then?" He glanced at the girl with him and he felt his heart tug towards her. What was that? "Lord Sesshomaru," he focused back on Kagura. "I think it's because of your beast," he loudly growled and knew his eyes were red. She smiled. "This one! This beast! It is because of it that you had to leave. It was attaching to another human, was it not?"

"Silence!" He let an attack fly from his sword, but Kagura quickly conjured up the wind and let the attack miss. Sesshomaru could feel his heart race and his fangs in his mouth grow. The nails on his fingers itched for blood and now his mind was blank. His beast was in control and he wanted vengeance. Kagura took another step forward and Sesshomaru growled once more.

"Do not worry, Sesshomaru," she rose her arm in the air and Sesshomaru felt his mouth twitch with delight. How he gladly wanted to tear her apart. "I'll put you out of that unfathomable misery," and she let her arm drop; the wind viciously attacked.

* * * *

The barrier was weakening, there was no doubt about that. She started to heavily breathe as she tried to think of some strategy. She thought about using the Tenseiga against them, but it would do absolutely nothing if a human wielded such a thing. Shippo ran to her side and looked up at her. "Kagome? What's going to happen?" She looked down at him and then looked at the jewel in her hand. She thought about throwing the thing away, but she could never do such a thing.

"I don't know," she knelt down to his level and continued to hear booming echo through the cavern. She rubbed his head and smiled. "If anything happens, you need to get out of here," he shook his head and started to cry.

"No! I cannot leave you again, Kagome!" she felt tears conjure in her eyes and she shook them away. She couldn't cry with him there. She just couldn't. He rubbed his eyes to make the tears go away and looked up at her. "I'll protect you, Kagome!" he turned away from her and walked to the barrier's edge. If and when the barrier would break, he would only get trampled on and crushed to death. She followed him.

Kagome noticed holes in the barrier, but they were too small for any demon to pass through, so they still managed to disappear. There were still hundreds more waiting to get at the jewel. When she stopped at the edge next to Shippo, the demons became more vicious and yearning for the jewel even more. She continued to hold the jewel in her hand and she closed her eyes. It was only a matter of time before she would die because of some jewel. Shippo looked up at her.

"You're not going to put up another barrier?" she shook her head.

"I can't, my powers are too weak for this many demons," she sighed and heard one of the demons outside yell. She could see everyone in her life flash before her: her immediate family, the family she came back to, Shippo, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, Rin, hell, even Jaken, Kouga, and more. She heard a wail of screams come from outside and she continued to look at the people in her life.

Her father was one of the last. She barely knew him—or recognized him, for that matter—but she still cried every year on his anniversary. _It's only a matter of time before I see him again anyway, _she thought as she let more people flash by; more screams entered her ears. Inuyasha was next. As much as she never wanted to see the man again, she loved him. And even though the love was profusely dying in her, there was still something there, something she didn't want for him again.

The last one, before she would open her eyes to see the barrier lifted, she saw Sesshomaru. He had hardly helped her, for reasons everyone around knew: the guy hated her! _He did aide me when I was dying, twice, and saved me from dying again recently…._ she saw him walking away and gripped the jewel in her hand even tighter. _He has saved me from death three times in the last month, and I haven't even repaid the debt. Without him, I'd already be dead. Don't go, Sesshomaru, _she thought. She opened her eyes and looked down at Tenseiga in her hands. She whispered: "I'll die without you," and noticed the barrier lift.

As soon as it did, the demons made a stampede toward her. Shippo hid behind her leg and she stood there with the jewel in her hand. Hell, she'd die protecting it at least. A few started to run at her and she closed her eyes in fear. Before the demons could make it to the entrance, however, a blaze of fire came roaring through and many of the demons burned to a crisp. Kagome felt the hot flames hit her and she opened her eyes. _Jaken?_ She stepped out a bit more and looked at the ground. The man came from the sky.

"Ah, Kagome? Are you here alone? And with the Tenseiga I see! Sesshomaru left it here?" Another roar of fire came and she was saved once again by the flames. Most of the demons ran off and others hid in the shadows. "You would've been dead without me, Kagome!" Her eyes widened and a spark of shock went through her body. The expression on her face, priceless. She yelled out:

"Eh?! Totosai?!"

**CLIFFHANGER! AND A LONG CHAPTER! I'm such a loser. (Ha-ha, this chapter is about 3400 words and my Author Note deal is 1400. MY GOD. I'm adding 5000 words from one chapter! AHH! My word count..! So long, hits/reviews from new readers..)**

**Sorry if this is Kagome-centered. I couldn't help myself 83 I'll make a Sesshomaru-centered one or something. Maybe. There's a lot that needs to be done before the 20th chapter. And SORRY that I'm still not in the romance aspect. I swear, there's going to be some awesome dreams on the way. AWESOME I SAY! (They aren't together, so how does romance work when they're apart?)**

**So, yes, this is what I am so excited about 8) You know, if you're disappointed, that's fine, but I was WAITING for this day to come when I could make Sesshomaru leave! He would never let another human tag along with him anyway, you know that! Besides, he's just jealous he can't get a piece of Kagome..yet 8)**

**How is this going to work, now that they're split up? Oh, trust me, they'll meet again. Wait for the 20th chapter. A pleasant surprise is in order for Sesshomaru 8) **

**I know I'll get these questions, so I'll answer it:**

**NO. Kagome is NOT going to train with the Tenseiga.**

**YES. Kagura is going to be important. Watch for her every once in a while.**

**And...**

**YES. (Can you guess what that's for? Ha-ha.)**

**Let's reply to reviews! 8) **

**Chapter 10 reviews:**

**Jill L - Ha-ha! She can't just lie around forever! I promise, this will probably be one of the last times she's lying around for DAYS. I hope my battle scene was perfect 8)  
soulspirit18 - Well, he's not the best guy to be around, if that's what you're implying with "jerk" 8)  
KatiechanXoxoXSesshoukun - 8D Thank you! I thought it was awesome too~  
Anonymous - You should get an account so I know your name! 8) Thank you for the review! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Chapter 11 reviews:**

**soulspirit18 - I hate when I have to use filler chapters D8 But thank you! I'm glad you liked it..? 8)  
(I already replied to the Anonymous review 8D)  
Jill L - I'm glad! I worked so hard trying to make it fit with the story and have SOME kind of character development, but I didn't know if it was going to work out to begin with! I almost scrapped the entire chapter before I submitted the thing! 8O Good thing I didn't! Ha-ha. Thank you!  
- Thank you! I had a lovely week, too, because of your review 8)  
One-wiTHOut-sOul - Ah, I knew I recognized your name from somewhere! 8D Thank you again for all of your reviews! I'm glad you like my writing style! (I like it too ;D)**

**Chapter 12 reviews:**

**presleybue - Thank you! 8D I didn't know if people would like the chapter, but it looks like it!  
lilyrose225 - I want to apologize if I sounded rude at all! I did not mean to whatsoever! 8) But thank you for the review! (I forgive you, if it means that much 8D)  
soulspirit18 - Ah, thank you! I love this story too, even if many people don't like it 8P  
Jill L - Haha! I LOVE IT TOO! I'll add to this love for this story 8)  
One-wiTHOut-sOul - Well~ I hope that was enough romance for now. Trust me, there'll be more romance coming up. IT'S GOING TO BE AWESOME!**

**Chapter 13 reviews:**

**soulspirit18 - Ah, thank you. I didn't know if people were going to be mad at me for her being in love still. BUT IT'S DYING! Trust me, she won't be in love with him for much longer 8D We'll get what we want, just wait!**

**Chaper 14 reviews:**

**soulspirit18 - Oh my goodness, I know! I hate those stories: "Hey, I'm Sesshomaru." "Hi, I'm Kagome." "You're cool." "So are you." "I'm in love." "What a coincidence, me too!" Enter some angst in there and slap a sticker on it! THE END! 8P What chapter for the romance..well, since they're now separated and all, I'd say it's going to come together around the 19th, 20th chapter? Kagome will get some surprises for her, as well as Sesshomaru. They'll soon realize...well, don't want to spoil it!  
presleybue - You're awesome 8)  
One-wiTHOut-sOul - I've learned how to type your name without struggling! Ha-ha! I knew it! I knew that chapter was rushed! I'm sure this chapter is a bit rushed, too xD WHOOPS. I'm actually trying to have the characters come along with stories, but that's not working. I'll have to remember that for next chapter 8) Thank you for the reviews again! I know, that guy was a jerk. Just doesn't know talent when he sees it ;) (I shouldn't say that. I'm pretty bad compared to other writers xD)  
****Jill L - I know, I am too! I'm waiting for the chapters when I can write nothing but pure ROMANCE! Ha-ha. Sorry if this is taking so long to get to their romance! It's harddddd! Dx**

******Thank you EVERYONE for the reviews and hits and alerts and favorites these past chapters! I am forever in debt to you~ So, if you want to get your questions answered (no question goes unanswered) you can totally review this story! You can comment on it, critique it, whatever! You can even message me! That'd be cool, too!**

******OH! One more thing! If you guys are looking for romance, but aren't finding it here (it won't be for a while, so if you're REALLY wanting something...) go to my new collection of oneshots called "Odds and Ends"! It's all SesshomaruxKagome stuff, from romance to angst to humor to EVERYTHING! Trust me, I think you'd like it if you wanted romance (I've only done a few, but maybe it's enough?)**

******Thank you again! Remember to review and I'll love you foreverrrr! **

******Until next time!**

******TLS **


	16. Chapter 16 : Struggling Saviors

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

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* * *

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_Last time, on "Blossoms into Love"..._

_She was on her own and Sesshomaru had abandoned her._

_"Do not worry, Sesshomaru. I'll put you out of that unfathomable misery."_

_"Eh?! Totosai?!"_

**

* * *

**

She felt this before, this sense of being saved. This intensity of life and death being played right in front of her eyes was something that she was used to in this world. She saw the red eyes the demons had, but there were only a few pairs of those that frightened her, that scared her right to her bones. They were forced to fight each other, though, and one kept coming after her. What could she do?

Kagome felt the heat of the fire. Those looks from the two, it was Hell to even think that you were going to survive if you were faced with one. It was like you stepped into the fire itself that engulfed your entire body, but that was not what killed you. It was the men inside, the man that came around and took the heat away so you would feel ever so cold. It was all for nothing, in her eyes.

More fire burned on the ground as the demons fought to survive. Kagome only could stare in awe at the demon's motivation to get the jewel. After all, it was a treasure and she had something everyone else wanted. They wanted to become more powerful, even if it meant taking their life. Kagome held onto the Tenseiga as Totosai stopped in front of the cavern.

With more of the fire coming from his mouth, she felt helpless again. All the time, she had to be saved by someone. All the time, there had to be someone to protect her. Why wasn't she able to keep herself alive? Was it that hard? The heat from the fire let her come out of her thoughts and she continued to watch more of the demons burn alive. The smell of burnt carcass was not a pleasant smell, either. Totosai turned to her.

"Hurry, Kagome, before more demons decide for that jewel you have," Shippo transformed as Kagome hopped on him. Totosai climbed to the skies and Shippo followed. Sure enough, when they ascended, Kagome looked down to the ground and noticed the demons assembling below and throwing numerous weapons towards her. They did not reach. Kagome leaned away from the terror and sighed.

It was the power of the jewel that inspired them to attack. They wished to become stronger, even though they were strong enough to take out villages. What were their motives that made them want this dark power? They were trapped in the Western lands, overruled by a strong and ultimate power that needed no more. Was it the feeling of weakness that kept them after the jewel? She looked down.

_I know that it won't end, but I must continue to fight,_ Kagome looked at the jewel in her hand and wondered why everyone seriously wanted this little glimmering ball of light. It was not as special as everyone thought; it was full of darkness, too. _I don't see why anyone would want to waste their life trying to get this thing_, she frowned. _It's caused nothing but trouble for me, that's for sure._ The jewel glowed a little more and she blinked.

_Then again, there are people in this world I met because of you, _she thought. _And I don't think I can see them out of my life. _She closed her hand and closed her eyes. _Inuyasha, we must finish this journey, don't we? _She opened her eyes and saw the little light dissipating. It wasn't the answer she wanted, but she knew it had to come down to seeing _him_ again.

Totosai looked over at the girl and wondered about something. "Ah, Kagome, where is your bow?" Kagome blinked out of her thoughts. Yes, there were others around her that worried about her, weren't there? She placed the jewel in a little pouch inside of her kimono and she looked up. Kagome looked at him and nervously laughed.

"Ah, I left that at the village," she confessed. He knew something was wrong, but he went no further for a while. Totosai shook his head and Kagome relaxed herself on Shippo. _That's right. I haven't been to that village in a while, _she frowned. She missed everyone, including Inuyasha, who she knew probably wasn't missing her, now that he had Kikyo by his side. _I know I shouldn't feel this way, but it's hard to let go_, Totosai looked over at her and asked:

"Why are you so far away from the village anyhow?" She didn't want to answer. She knew what to say, but it was too hard. Kagome shook her head and Shippo decided to speak for her.

"It's because of Kikyo!" He had only heard about her a few times, and only saw the priestess just a selected number of times to know who she was in the world and in the afterlife. Totosai realized and nodded.

"Oh! You mean that dead priestess that has yet to leave this world?" Kagome looked down at the Tenseiga and sighed. _The one that is much more powerful than I am?_ Shippo replied to Totosai with a simple 'yes' and he continued. "Is that the only reason you left?" Kagome laid on top of Shippo (as uncomfortable as it was) and looked at the sky.

"It's a long story, Totosai," she whispered. Totosai knew enough was enough for her, so he kept quiet. Kagome closed her eyes and heard the sounds of Totosai's carrier fly off. Shippo tried to keep up, but he kept mumbling to himself about how that _thing_ was too fast. "Ah, Kagome, I'm trying to keep up with him! It's too hard!" Kagome smiled and patted Shippo.

"It's okay, Shippo. Just keep flying, you'll be fine," she yawned and Shippo felt determined.

"Okay!" And to the skies he went. Kagome just felt the rush of the wind carelessly glide over her body and she knew this feeling. It was fast—not as fast as Inuyasha—but it was recently discovered. Then she realized.

_Oh great, now I'm thinking of Sesshomaru,_ she kept her eyes closed and went back to that time. It was almost surreal, to feel this sense of a rush go through her, around her, and everything in between. The wind cautiously whipped around their bodies, with their arms holding each other for dear life as if the wind was going to tear them apart. This balanced man (demon, rather) kept his composure with confidence and stride. It was all so new to Kagome; she never felt something like that with Inuyasha.

Not to mention having Sesshomaru as a "savior" wasn't too bad, either. _Ah, not like I'll ever see him again. All I have left of him is his sword,_ Kagome held the sword to her chest and thanked the Gods above that she had something to protect her. Without him, it seemed she would've been dead a long time ago from the hands of the one she loved.

Then again, it was a grand dream. She knew it was nothing more than a passing glance for him, a studious task that he had to take so his brother—actually, half-brother—would not win some battle. He was never there for her, perhaps emotionally or friendly-like, nor was he obligated to save her. There were no merits for him after all.

She felt the wind pick up once more and she went back to that time. The voice that laced with the wind, it was almost perfect. It matched with the intensity the wind brought, the silent curse that came with his words. _"We're leaving girl," _he said to her. It was like she was leaving once more, except he was not by her side this time. He was not there to protect her; only the thought of him protecting her was left. She brought the Tenseiga out from her chest and opened her eyes. If only, right?

Then, it all came to a stop. The wind went away and Shippo ended the ride. She opened her eyes and saw Totosai. Then she heard his voice: "Kagome, you have the Tenseiga?" He had just realized at that moment she had the sword? She looked over at the old man, who was intently staring at her with some kind of conviction in his eyes and she sat up. They were at his place already? _Was I dreaming?_ Shippo allowed Kagome to slide off his back before transforming back to his original form—he was exhausted. Kagome picked him up with her arms.

"Kagome, I think you were out like a light for most of the ride," _Ah, so I was asleep,_ she noted. She looked over at Totosai and shrugged.

"Yes, it was left in the cave," Totosai hopped off his carrier and she held onto her items. He groaned, but only looked at Kagome with wonder. "Why, is something the matter?" He walked into his home and looked into the darkness.

He said nothing.

* * *

Kagura felt her back slam against the forest floor and heard Sesshomaru's sword embed itself into the ground next to her ear. Both were breathing rather heavily, considering the fact they both gave it their all to kill each other—at least, that was what Sesshomaru planned on achieving. But he was the only one that had this snarl hiding behind the air escaping his lips. Kagura stared up at the red eyes of death Sesshomaru still had and heard his beast growl and snap with each breath he took.

There was no reason she should've attacked him like that, especially with the pent up feelings she had before and after Naraku's death. But it was a sense of stubbornness and jealously of his mind being clouded by someone else, someone that had no worth and no value compared to other demons. So when she stared at Sesshomaru, she saw a rampage.

Sesshomaru had no control over his body or mind; his beast was the only thing left. He could feel nothing, hear nothing, see nothing but red. His beast, though, knew what was going on and could assimilate right and wrong, according to its standards. He had no urge left to perhaps keep this woman alive after the conversation they had during the battle.

_"Why do you attract to humans?" Kagura asked. Sesshomaru noticed her take one break from the fight and stood there with cuts and bruises from his attacks. Her eyes drifted over to the two wards he had and he growled. She would not harm them, no. "Are you turning into your father?" his body started to shake with anger—his beast wanted to be unleashed._

_"My father is not honorable enough to mention," He knew she wanted to test his mind and strength against her, to try and see how far his pride would take him. Kagura smirked and fanned out her weapon once more._

_"Eh? And why is that, Sesshomaru? Is it because of your mother dying by his hands?" Sesshomaru knew his beast wanted out, but tried so hard to keep it inside. He bore his fangs towards her and she shook her head. "I hit a soft spot. Tell me," she leaned against the tree and smiled, "are you afraid of turning into your father because you cannot move past that terrible time in your life? He was a Lord after all, and you are the new Lord of the lands. Should you not have a mate by now?" It was the snapping point._

_Flashes of the human girl ran through his mind. Memories of the human woman that took his father's heart played through his life. His own mother, dying on the floor inside her own bedroom, cautiously playing tricks on him and he had enough._

_Sesshomaru had no choice but let his beast take over. How dare anyone tell him how he should live and who should be in his life. Every demon on his lands should bow before him, not ridicule him for having two innocent wards! Sesshomaru knew nothing more and slipped away; his beast took over. His beast stared at her with dark red eyes and snapped his fangs at her. "Silence yourself," it growled before lunging toward her._

_Blindly it moved toward her, and, blindly, it missed. It was out for blood now, not for victory. Kagura used the wind to her advantage and lifted herself on top of a feather. "Ha! That must be it, Sesshomaru! You do not want to be your father! Tell me, is it really that horrible? Do you feel torment being near humans?" His beast quickly turned around and looked up at her._

_"I feel nothing," it whispered. Kagura, confused, noticed the change in attitude with Sesshomaru. Was it that much of a sensitive topic? She leaned forward on her feather and continued to torture the man._

_"So what about this little girl that travels with you? Does she remind you of your mother?" The beast roared, but Kagura shook her head. "Perhaps that is not it. You only saved her to test your sword, the Tenseiga," Kagura then noticed something, "Ah, and you don't have that sword with you!" His beast felt anger surge through its veins; it was a matter of time. "So where is it? Is it with that girl, Kagome?" He clenched his teeth and felt his beast grind its fangs together to hold its anger inside. "Are you afraid of something?" That was it._

_He leapt into the air and unsheathed his sword. With one swing, Kagura tried to use the wind to redirect where he was heading, but it was unsuccessful. Sesshomaru made contact with the woman and knocked her off of her feather. She tried to use the wind to soften her fall, but Sesshomaru would not have that happen. His beast dove in the air and hit her chest. She fell even faster and made contact with the Earth. Sesshomaru stood over her and placed the sword into the ground._

Kagura was afraid. She had only gotten her heart back months ago from the death of Naraku, and here she was, going to lose it all by another demon. Much less, a demon that could not control the inner beast he had. More disturbing than that, she was going to lose it to the man that she thought had some kind of connection built inside. "Sesshomaru," she whispered. The beast started to growl and yell at her.

"I told you to stay away," it said. It brought a shiver down her spine and she swallowed what tasted like blood so she could speak again. When she opened her mouth, she heard him growl and snap against the back of his throat. She closed her eyes and smiled. She felt Death so close to her face that she just had to smile. "so what is your reason being here?" it asked. She opened her eyes in fury and started to yell.

"You are the man that kills humans, not helps them!" His beast snarled and she continued. "You are the most fearful Lord in all of the lands, and yet here you are, supporting a little girl on your journeys while you aided yet another girl that, at first, had intentions to kill you!" She let her head rest on the ground once more and she caught her breath again. "Your beast is weakening, Sesshomaru," his beast growled, "and you cannot accept that," his beast took the sword from the ground and backed away from Kagura.

What was it doing? Sesshomaru was feeling it leaving and he was finally having control again. Only this time, he was fighting with himself, and his beast still wanted to be in control. Sesshomaru turned his back on his enemy and sheathed his sword; his hand was still on its hilt. His head was pounding, his heart was racing, and his eyes were blinking back and forth between golden and red. Kagura sat up from the ground and felt her wounds opening. "Sesshomaru," she whispered.

He sharply turned his head towards her and growled. Why was he feeling this way? Was it from his beast being challenged by a weaker demon? She was no match for Sesshomaru, but for his beast, they were equals. Perhaps it was the words that angered it so: _"Is it with that girl, Kagome?" _He felt it coming back, so he took his sword out again and aimed it to the ground. "Leave, Kagura," she rose and retorted.

"No, Sesshomaru. You need to turn back and be with a demon, not a human girl," He could not see himself without Rin, nor could he possibly see himself with Kagura. There was something else, something blocking his general direction in life that wanted him to be someplace else. Sesshomaru swiftly turned around and aimed Bakusaiga right at her.

"I said leave," she noticed the red eyes staring at her and saw his arm slowly rising, almost as if he was struggling with his beast as to the means of attacking her or not. It was her chance to escape if she ever wanted to see the man again. She pulled a feather from her hair and shook her head.

"Fix yourself," and a feather appeared. Soon enough, she flew into the air. She looked down at the ground and saw him let his arm fall. It was a good thing she left when she did after all. A good chunk of the forest disappeared from the one attack and she rubbed her neck. She was thankful she got out of there alive, but she needed to be somewhere else, somewhere that she didn't want to be after three years of battling its powers. She looked back at Sesshomaru one last time and flew higher in the sky. _I'll be back. _

Sesshomaru, on the other hand, threw his sword to the ground and brought himself to his knees. Jaken and Rin collectively gasped and ran over to their lord. "Lord Sesshomaru!" they both cried. It was a terrible feeling of agony with his beast. Sesshomaru was battling himself again and he growled. Jaken sharply stopped while Rin ran to him. "Lord Sesshomaru, are you hurt?" Sesshomaru felt his muscles tense and he glared at the little girl. Never had she seen this side of her Lord.

What was this feeling? He had never experienced it before, not even with his own mother. Could it have been the ideas his mother had in mind for him in the future? No, he had to deny it, there was no way. He heard her voice again and he started to growl and thrashed his head around. Then his attention went back to the girl staring at him and he knew the little noises coming from her were ones that told him: "I'm scared."

Sesshomaru knew he was staring at her like that, frightening the little girl, but he couldn't do anything. He had no control again that the battle between his own beast and himself was too much. He noticed a few shadows in the sky pass over and he gazed. There, a few demons to kill! But Sesshomaru knew better. The power, the strength of this beast was getting out of hand. There was a few ways to settle the thing, but he knew the only way was to get out of there.

He growled at Rin. She backed away in terror and he blinked. His red eyes probably scared the wits out of her, knowing that she had never seen him this protective or this furious about something. There was an odd scent in the air, something familiar tainting his soul. He knew it was from those in the sky. "Stay here," he snarled. He jumped into the air. Rin stared at his sword and felt her heart racing inside of her chest. Was he okay?

In one second, he was gone. And all that was left in the silence was the loud howl.

**BAH. I feel like this is Kagome-centered/filler chapter. Sorry?**

**Oh my gosh, you guys have no idea how hard this was getting out of my brain. I literally re-read my last chapter, like...twenty times before I had some idea with Sesshomaru. And I was going to have this, originally, be all Sesshomaru and that, but then I realized that I have to save Kagome FIRST before I have Sesshomaru have his own chapter. So, his own chapter (with Kagome somewhere at the end of it) will be NEXT chapter. And THAT chapter will be all about his like..previous events in life, including with his father and that human mother (Izayoi?). Just a heads up.**

**So, uh, if this chapter sucks and you hate it, I'm so sorry. This was the ONLY chapter I never planned out xD I skipped from 15 to 17, and then I realized I missed 16. Uh, whoops.**

**XD Actually, when I was writing this chapter, I had about 1500 words when I finished. And I needed another 1500 words, so I just went back to different chapters and tried to get a feel of how those came off (tone, mood...). I don't know, did it work? **

**Since there's going to be questions about THIS, too:**

**YES. (Guess)**

**YES. (Guess again)**

**NO, Sesshomaru would never hurt Rin, so I'm not going to have him hurt her. God.**

**Last chapter, no one noticed the romance!? Wow, I'm kind of shocked. Did anyone notice it here? 8) (I'm so bad when it comes to love xD) And, I don't know about you, but Kagome seems really slow with emotional stuff, so that's why I'm having her like this. Don't worry, by the 20th chapter, things will be okay 8D I don't know about Sesshomaru yet, but he can do something Maybe. I don't know. IT'S A SURPRISE!**

**Again, sorry that this is a really bad chapter and that I didn't update hella quick or anything. College brings me downnnnn~ I'll make sure I write another chapter by Sunday or something to make it up to you guys~ **

**Thank you for the reviews and hits and favorites and alerts and everything! They always make me smile! 8) Don't forget to review this time around, either! If you have questions or comments (ON HOW BAD THIS CHAPTER IS!?) you can certainly leave it in a review or message me. Either way, I'll reply to you!**

**Until next time!**

**TLS**


	17. Chapter 17 : His Inheritance

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**SIDE NOTE: This is all Sesshomaru. ALL. It's a lot.**

**SIDE-SIDE NOTE: There's a flashback.  
**

**SIDE-SIDE-SIDE NOTE: Sorry about the end being vague and all.  
**

Sesshomaru was furious. It wasn't a blind fury he was after, but it was close enough to a vengeful fury to be blind. He did not wish to have this feeling of wrath and anger, but something was wrong and off. And this was the only way to let his frustration out: on his forest, on his lands.

He couldn't believe it, leaving his two wards without any protection. He had not done that in a long time, when he first went to the forest to help that woman. If he had not protected this girl and perhaps helped her with anything for the matter—if he had not gotten in the middle of her affairs, none of this would be happening and he would still be a feared Lord of the Western Lands. Instead, here he was, away from his wards again and destroying anything in his path.

But he could not stand that demoness! Rather, his beast could not, but it was pure hatred for the woman that he could not find to relinquish. He should've killed her when he had the chance, the solemn second that passed when his sword was near her throat. But he could not. And he could not figure out why.

He sliced through numerous trees in his forest, the birds flying away from him due to the terror he brought across the land. There were a few demons in the shadows, but they knew better than to attack a Lord when frustrated. He saw the slow shadows on the ground pass him again and he had to howl. It wasn't loud, but it was enough to scare them away (one looked down at his pathetic state). He wanted that scent away from him as much as possible. It was a horrid smell, something that was far worse than the burning corpses no more than a few miles away. It drove him mad, insane, maniacal. And he couldn't stop.

No matter how hard he tried, he could not stop. With every turn in the forest, with every tree that was in the way, he could only see the blood of a woman spilt against the barks. But how did he know it was a woman's? It easily could've been a man's, another demon's, or anyone in particular. No, it had to be a woman. It was the one thing he wanted dead.

His beast started to fight against him. Sesshomaru tried to resist—a futile attempt, but he did try. That woman, Kagura, she spoke about that human girl like it was nothing—it was simple to her. Something about the way that woman spoke about her made him furious, beyond the blind rage he already felt for her. No, this was different, something that he could not find an answer for; it was a simple mystery with a difficult answer.

Sesshomaru placed his head on one of the untouched trees and stood there, trying to catch his breath. What was he doing? This is out of character and even the demons around knew this. Was this his vulnerable stage? Surely, no demon around would try anything to irk him more, much less attack him when he was in this state. If someone wanted to, however, his reaction would be slowed by his thoughts.

Sesshomaru felt his beast in pain and he knelt to the ground. He had not been in a weakened state like this in a long time, much less having to kneel in pain. But this burden to have his beast almost controlling his mind and soul… It had been a long time since he whimpered like that. And he had to close his eyes due to the pain he was suffering. So when he did, he went back to the past.

Somehow, that Kagura reminded him of that human woman, Inuyasha's mother. No matter what he did or how many times he did something, she would always be there. It was like the woman wanted to torment him and punish him for something he did not do to start. Even his father started to come around more often, something Sesshomaru could not forego when _he _came around. It had usually ended with his father explaining the situation to him but Sesshomaru could not listen; his eyes were only on the human.

He was not infatuated with her appearance or her personality at all. No, her appearance was grotesque and appalling to be near, much less to be able to smell anything around her. And when she spoke, it was devastating to hear the high-pitched notes from her throat come. He had no idea why she was meant to be his father's mate, even when the most beautiful creature in the world had soon passed on from his own hand. Sesshomaru could not understand why.

One soft night, he was alone by his mother's river. It had not been long after her death, but every chance he had, he would go to this river and reminisce. Some parts of him wanted to join her in death, but other parts wished she were still alive. Every once in a while, the moon would reflect on the water and it reminded him of her silvery hair always able to ride with the winds. And every time he reached out towards her, the reflection would turn into nothing more than waves.

Once before, his father told him to never reach out to this river again. "That woman was a devil in disguise, and that water will trick you," his father said. Sesshomaru did not trust his father anymore, so he did not listen to his words. Sesshomaru ignored his father's will to change and ordered everyone, including that damned woman, to stay away from him at night. It was the only time he had alone to himself near the river. And it was the only time to dream about his mother once more.

He noticed an unrecognizable scent nearby, something like a mixture of demon and human behind him. Sesshomaru had never smelt anything like this before on his lands; how did his father miss this one? He spun around and unsheathed his Tenseiga, pointing the sword at the enemy. If anything, he would try to threaten the fool near him and make them think he was going to kill them. He looked into the attacker's eyes and noticed fear. He knew this person.

"Why are you here?" The person held their hands up in innocence and smiled.

"I thought I could come and briefly talk to you," they said. He felt his anger rise a little, but he kept his composure. He sheathed the sword again and stared at them. If they would take a hint, they should've left, but they were not.

"I told everyone there to stay away from me during the night, including you," his tone did not change—actually, it may have been colder towards them specifically. They lowered their hands and stood still in their place, knowing that if they were to move, it would be their head. One wrong move, actually, would've been the end of their life.

"Yes, well, your father believed it was a good idea to find you and talk to you. He is certainly worried about you, Sesshomaru, and--"

"Do not talk to this one like you are family nor talk to my father around this one. You have been here for merely a month and you feel it necessary to speak. Keep your thoughts to yourself," Sesshomaru hated them. But, despite this, he knew better to attack them irrationally and still kept his composure near them. His beast, however, thought otherwise and wanted to rip them apart for what they did.

"But, Sesshomaru--"

"I need not one word from you, human. I suggest you leave before you lose whatever precious life you cherish," Sesshomaru turned away from them and still felt the presence as strong as ever. They did not want to leave until their thoughts were known and their words were heard. It was a typical human quality, this stubbornness. As much as he did not want to listen to their words, he had no choice.

"Sesshomaru, please, hear me out. I had no idea your father had that kind of vengeance in him, to kill your mother like that. And I had no idea he was still mated to her!" Sesshomaru whipped his head towards them and growled.

"You will speak about her with respect," but they continued without thinking twice.

"But there is no reason for you to hate me like this! It had not been my fault that she died from his hands, or," they started to come towards him and he stood in place. He wanted to see what they were going to do. "for that matter, it was not my idea to kill her! He has not told me why he killed her or truly demoralize his relationship with her, but--"

Sesshomaru growled once more when they stopped a couple inches away from him. They had tears in their eyes; was this pity? Sesshomaru hoarsely whispered: "He never loved her in the first place. He deserved no love from someone like her to begin with, so do not pity her death with his reasoning." They closed their eyes, perhaps trying to hide away those tears he felt were disgusting, and reached out to him.

His body tensed. Were they out of their mind? No one since his mother's death had tried to touch him or startle him in the moments. And, certainly, no human lived to tell about their experience touching him. No, they must've been insane to try something like this.

And he felt their hand touch his arm. It stung, almost like a sword cutting through his skin during the heats of battle. He felt their grip tighten, as if trying to bring comfort to him—he needed none. He had enough comfort under the moon and stars next to her river, near her grave. It was enough. The person looked at him still with those tears in their eyes, as if he were to apologize for their reckless emotions.

Nonetheless, they continued to stare at him until something exited their mouths. He was sure he'd never forget these words. During the middle of this, this person started to smile. "It must be terrible to lose a mother when she was in your arms. But you shouldn't worry about that, Sesshomaru. I can be like a mother to you as well."

What was he supposed to say to something like that? Scratch that, what was he supposed to think when he heard that muttered? Was this person utterly and morally insane when speaking to him? He still felt the grip on his arm and he couldn't help himself; he was starting to shake with fury. Apparently, this person did not feel his body quiver like that, but he certainly felt it. And his beast could not hold back any longer—its leash was shortened and the cloth had ripped.

It was all so sudden, like a powerful wind had gone through the place and terrorized each and every villager in the area. He grabbed them by their throat and threw them to the ground near the river. Their back hit the rocks, their head lying in the grass with a little blood from their throat trickling from his nails. They were trying to take his hand out from the airway, but it was no use; he was too powerful.

Sesshomaru heard his growls grow louder and louder, becoming more vicious as he held them done. "You will never be a mother, worthless human!" He uttered. Had that been his thought this whole time? Surely, she was already bearing a child for his father—a half-demon, something so disgusting it is much lower than a human—but there was no need for her to mother both a half-demon and a demon. "You should not even be alive near these lands!" The person struggled for air, trying to take his hand out of their throat, but it was still no use.

Was this how he felt towards humans? He knew they were already lower than him, both socially and politically, but when his mother died, it was like everything was changed and the world was turned upside-down. Humans, in his mind, were horrible creatures and should die with any means—by that, he knew it had to be the most painful death he could imagine. What it had to be, he had no control over that. But when staring into the pained expression this person had, it felt wonderful to see them like this, to feel what his mother felt. Was this revenge?

He pressed harder against their throat and leaned down toward them. What exactly he was doing, he had no idea. This was his beast as controllable and conniving as it could get. He heard the rushing waters of the river: "I should drown you in the waters if you so choose to shed those tears for me!" And his beast was about to, but Sesshomaru felt someone running towards him.

He knew this scent far too well, and Sesshomaru let go of them. When he spun around to face this demon, he already felt the collision of it ramming into his chest. They both splashed into the river, a wave of water crashing into the grounds around, including the person on the ground, and this demon held onto Sesshomaru's throat now. Sesshomaru did nothing but growl.

"You will not harm this one, Father," but his threat was meaningless. His father had not heard his whisper but instead growled loudly. Sesshomaru could barely hear his own growl, truth be told. His father would not pierce his skin, no, but the strength and life behind the growls were powerful enough to silence an army.

His father began to yell. "You will not touch her like that!" Sesshomaru was being pushed more into the dirt surrounding the river, as if he were being pushed into his mother's own grave. He saw the human rise from the ground, holding her throat and looking at both of them with concern. He glanced back at his father. He had bright red eyes, almost a deranged look stricken across his face, and his teeth bearing down on Sesshomaru's soul. "Do not harm her!"

Sesshomaru had enough of both of their pathetic antics and pushed his father off with all of his might. Jumping out of the river and away from both of them, Sesshomaru stood on the other side of the river with a somewhat stilled fury in his eyes. Sure, he was angry at both of them, specifically the woman, but he knew better than to harm his own father. He knew he could not govern the lands at that young age. So, instead, he ran into the forest, disappearing with his thoughts.

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and stared at the dark forest. He forgot he left his wards alone for a moment. Looking around, he felt no demons near or threats that concerned him. So he looked up and noticed the moon shining brightly with a few passing clouds accompanying the lit stars. How long was he out here? Surely, it must've been a few hours, but nothing too long. He looked down at his hands and pondered.

He had not thought about that night for years, much less wanting to think of that human woman almost dying from his hands. How Inuyasha would not be alive! Then again, there would be consequences to his death—his father surely would've killed him. _"Have you someone to protect?"_ ran through his mind, a careless thought by his father. He never thought about the saying until after his father's death, when everything didn't seem to matter anymore.

For years, Sesshomaru knew he had no one to protect. In fact, now, he had no one to protect. His wards were strong enough to fend for themselves, and if they needed help with their enemies, he would help. It was like he was the General for the war, and they were merely Privates. There was no need to try and protect someone. It would be a waste of time and nothing in return would be made. It was just a futile attempt to like humans.

Sesshomaru noticed the dried blood in the cracks. No matter how much he tried to chip away, there was always that little reminder and that strong scent rattling his beast. And yet, without his beast to try and tell him that humans are terrible, he did not mind the company or did not feel the need to hate them. In fact, it was…peaceful.

Imagine, a human being peaceful. If only his father could see him now, looking at dried blood in the cracks of his palms and reminiscing on what had happened during these months. "Father," he whispered. What was that look that his father gave on that night? Yes, it was deranged, almost vicious, a tinge of red bleeding into his eyes, his teeth bearing at the enemy and his nails wanting to suffocate the life out of his enemy.

Was this the look he has had the past months now? Sure, that dead human and Inuyasha always irritate him to no end, but…why around that one girl? He looked at the dried blood creased into his skin, never ceasing to fully chip away and disappear. So why was it that he did not just go to the nearest river and wash his hands?

They were filthy, anyway. There was dirt encrusted under his nails, not to mention the filth from when he had to touch that awful woman, Kagura, after the fight. And, do not forget the many times of touching that human when she was bloodied, dying, near death, and…smiling. Sesshomaru blinked. No, he needed to wash these away. There had to be some river nearby—yes, there was a river about ten miles near his wards, perhaps he could go tonight.

But he couldn't stop looking at the blood. Had he no will? He did not know, but he did not want to move from his position. His wards were fine, the moon was a great source of light, and there was nothing wrong with staring at blood. Was there? He did not know this either. _"Have you someone to protect?"_ echoed in his mind again.

Did he? His wards needed no protection, but that girl, she needed all the help she could get. She was an excellent fighter, a masterful priestess that could possibly outshine the dead one if she had the chance, and she was kind-spirited. Nonetheless, she needed someone intelligent enough to know the lands. So, did this mean he wanted her as a partner?

No, surely not. Definitely not, according to his beast. But, Sesshomaru pondered more. He did not mind protecting her from that half-breed or that fowl woman attacking her and trying to kill her for her own life. Not to mention the company she brought was serene and not bothersome, unlike his own wards he had tagging along. So perhaps he now had someone to protect, a woman—human, no less. Did he want this task though? His beast certainly wanted no part in her life.

Sesshomaru, however, craved for this life. Even then, he wondered where she was, how she was, if she was still alive—she had to be alive. If she wasn't, could he live with himself if she died because he could not be around her much longer. But why? "_You do not want to be your father!"_ No, that had not been it, had it? Kagura, that devilish woman, could not be right. This feeling to somehow find a way around her scent could not be that. A taboo, a myth around the lands of being like father, like son; it could not be right.

_"Is it with that girl, Kagome?" _So why was he angry when she said her name like that? It certainly was not a threat on his own life, but it almost demeaned him, like his pride was being killed before his eyes. What exactly was the reason why he left the girl in the cave? Her beauty still horrible like all humans, her voice nothing like a Siren, but her scent was…alluring. His beast wanted nothing with Kagome, but Sesshomaru…it did not matter. Everything was wrong about her. He knew this; he couldn't hide from the truth.

He put his hands over his face and inhaled. He did not want to breathe in such terrible air anymore and miss out on the more important things in life. His beast roared, but Sesshomaru pushed it aside. He could accept this. There were no thoughts running through his thoughts anymore and all that he could see was a smile, simply out of his reach. He wanted nothing more than that.

He had inherited his father's side.

**OH MAN. I feel like I need to introduce myself again after being away for so long. Sorry, it's college. It threw me a fastball and I had to keep up with that speed and all.**

**OH HEY THERE! I have been away for two weeks, hurrah!**

**Um, about this chapter: the reason it's ALL Sesshomaru (trust me, it was tough to write) is because I wanted an all Sesshomaru chapter and I wanted to have some important stuff happen. Don't worry, a Kagome chapter is in the future (not in the near, it's pretty far away) so for those that like Kagome, uh, sorry, you're going to have to wait until next time for that one.**

**WITH THAT SAID...**

**Sesshomaru really hated Izayoi. Actually, I don't know that, but I made him like this xD Ah, I'm a terrible person.**

**AND! I can't wait for these responses about the ending. I want to see if someone gets this right, but I bet you people are going to be so smart and awesome that you'll get it right away! And I bet a lot of you will think alike! 8) I'll talk about this in later chapters.**

**So, uh, this is not a filler chapter? It's actually REALLY important with the plot and story and all that jazz. How exciting right?**

**AND WITH THAT SAID...**

**Sorry again for having a really late update! All updates now should be really quick because college is ending! HUZZAH! I'm excited. I have one more final on Tuesday and I'll be done with my first year! Fantastic. I'll start on the next chapter later today, so look out for that chapter in the near future (psst, it's in the future, too!). And by near, I mean like...a week.  
**

**I want to thank everyone that has reviewed from my last updates until now and those that read this! I love each and every one of my readers 8) I hope you review, tell me if you like this chapter (This is probably one of the first chapters I love, only because it took a while and I put my HEART into this) and if you still love me! Probably not after that long wait, but it was worth it, right?**

**So thank you again and I will see you guys soon!**

**Until next time! **

**TLS  
**


	18. Chapter 18 : Looking Back

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**NOTE: There's three flashbacks in this. They're in _italics_.  
**

It had been two weeks since his last outrage due to Kagura's last visit. As much as he despised the woman, she did bring some light out from the depths of his heart. After all, it had been held in there for quite some time and without acknowledging this perhaps known secret, his head would not be clearer and his senses would not be keener. Then again, he should've ripped her into pieces when he had the chance.

When he returned to his wards, he felt a calm sensation flow through him when he saw Rin (Jaken was still irritable, no matter how many times he must look at him). He had not felt this way about humans since...well, ever. It had always been the one thing on his mind: humans were disgusting creatures that should never be allowed to even see the light of day. And now looking at the little girl that had been travelling with him for quite some time, he could understand why his father took a liking to them.

_Rin jumped from her spot and called out in joy: "Lord Sesshomaru!" It was like a bell ringing in his ear, or perhaps a bird chirping in the woods just before dawn. He never realized the sound of a human's voice, the pitch it makes when it's happy or sad or even frustrated at anything and everything. It was just…perfect. Somehow, it was not disgusting nor was it imperfect anymore. _

_ She began to run towards him with arms wide open. This, however, he was not ready for nor did he ever want to be ready for. As much as he started to appreciate humans, he could not find a reason to like them more than what they were: filth. They were just below half-demons but higher than some scum demons that wander in his path._

_So he kept walking towards Jaken without acknowledging the girl. He would not hold her like any human father, or even like a passionate demon. Somewhere deep down, there was a feeling of wanting to show some emotions—especially after his outrage in the forest. But, he knew it would never and could never happen under the circumstances of being a Lord, so he ignored the girl._

_At first, Rin was disappointed that her Lord had not changed—but then she remembered that he is just like that and just that cold sometimes. "Are you feeling better?" She smiled towards her Lord as she walked behind him. Sesshomaru did not look back (although he did want to see if his father saw the same thing he did) but did reply:_

_"If you must say that." That was all he needed to get his point across. Jaken began to scold Rin about asking "stupid questions" and Rin began to laugh at him as he kept clumsily running into rocks. Sesshomaru found no need to listen to their laughter or frustration, so he went back to his own thoughts, his own conscience. What he found was still there: an angry beast, still wanting nothing to do with change._

There was something about them, some kind of quality that irritated his beast. And no matter how much he tried to figure it out, there was nothing he could do to make it say something. It was just irritated at them, growling and wanting more of their blood spilt on his hands just to get rid of the scent still left behind.

Sesshomaru looked down at his hands for a brief second. Yes, that scent was vague. It hardly entered his nose when walking through different parts of his lands. He had recently washed everything that was left of her blood away to maybe get rid of his father's feelings—as much as he regretted getting rid of something that calmed him. He made it clear to himself he wanted no part of his past.

_"Lord Sesshomaru, look! A hot springs!" Sesshomaru turned his head over to the steaming springs and noticed little Rin standing in front of him. "May I please take a bath?" Jaken butted into the conversation before Sesshomaru had a chance to answer._

_"You insolent girl! We have no time to dilly-dally around just for you!" Sesshomaru felt his hands twitch—he was reminded of that day. He could clearly remember saying her name for the first time, as a means of respect despite what had happened during that battle. Then he remembered her words:_

_"Maybe Rin and I are growing on you." He looked back to his little ward, still fussing around with the green imp bothering her much like he bothers everyone else, and thought about those words. His beast whined and groaned about them, but Sesshomaru thought about the philosophy behind that. Maybe there was a sense of change coming for him and perhaps it was going to happen so quickly that there would be no escape._

_His beast, however, was afraid of change. "Go," he replied to Rin. The two wards stopped fighting and Rin happily skipped to the springs. Jaken walked back to his handler and began fussing over what they were doing. _

_"B-But, Lord Sesshomaru! We must protect the lands before other demons arrive! Who knows how much of the jewel's power is still around the area!" Sesshomaru did not look down at his trustful ward, much less actually want to hear his voice. He began to move forward and quickly replied:_

_"They will perish before my lands are to be destroyed," Sesshomaru watched as Rin jumped inside of the warm water and quickly came back up in a sigh of relief. He could clearly hear her humming when she began to relax and enjoy herself, noting how a simple melody like that could have some kind of an effect on him. Had the other woman done the same thing? He never paid any attention to the woman, fearing that his beast would take the best of him and slaughter her right in front of the girl's eyes._

_"Lord Sesshomaru?" Sesshomaru stopped at the edge of the water and knelt before the little girl. If there was one ward he would rather listen to, it would be Rin. Then again, the woman was not a terrible ward to listen to; she, at least, was smart enough to have a conversation. A memory sparked this again, this time the way the woman looked when she was entering the springs. Again, he was not pleased by her appearance (humans still looked terrible compared to demons of beauty) but something about her innocence and pure-hearted soul intrigued him. _

_Rin called out to him again. "Lord Sesshomaru?" In fact, why had that woman not addressed him as a Lord? He would have to ask her when they would meet again—would they meet again? "Did Kagome leave any of her nice smelling stuff with you?" He had seen this before—the woman would put something in her hair, clean everything out with just the water and that stuff, and then Rin's hair would smell divine, including the woman's hair. He could not remember what it was called. _

_He shook his head. "Oh, that's too bad! It always smelled like a garden!" Now that he thought about it, it did. There were hints of lilacs, lilies, daisies, all sorts of flowers he's known for years. Sesshomaru looked down at his hands and noticed Rin seeing the dried blood. "Ah, blood! Lord Sesshomaru, did you miss a spot the last time you cleaned yourself?" He unconsciously dipped his hands into the warm waters and noticed the little particles of blood leaving his palms. Rin swam away before noticing what Sesshomaru was doing and left him alone. _

_What was he doing? He cherished this blood! But…why? He quickly pulled his hands out from the water and noticed the scent still there—just not the reminder of what it was. Would this be something he would regret later on in life? Perhaps, but his mind was clouded by his hands, something he did not need to worry about. He shook his hands to dry them and stood up. How he hated springs now._

They were far away from springs and demons that threatened either his life or his wards. There was a faint fire sitting in front of Sesshomaru, who had Rin in his lap sleeping and Jaken across from him sleeping as well. Of course, Sesshomaru needed no sleep and stared more into the fire. It was okay with him, since he always liked reflecting on his past and recent events.

He took note of the area: there were surrounding demons still trying to search for the missing jewel. There were also demons just after Sesshomaru, which he was already used to in previous battles. After all, a Lord is always challenged, no matter the demon or their strength. He stared into the dying embers on the wood and felt the light warmth emitting from the fire.

Was this how his anger felt when he was in that forest? No matter how much he wanted to forget about his revelations, he could not bring himself to repress the memories. Perhaps this was the feeling the demons had towards the jewel: it was giving them this missing warmth they needed. _Foolish weaklings, _he thought, _for the jewel will give you nothing but trouble and regret. _Then, something sparked.

A bright light came from the fire and Sesshomaru directed his eyes to the darkness. He could not see anything in the forest and he could not hear anything suspicious, but a scent far away was picked up and he knew this scent from anywhere. He tightened his grip unconsciously on Rin's arm and felt his other hand twitch with anticipation: his beast wanted to kill. Sesshomaru, though, sat there and noticed the scent just passing by.

_Naraku,_ he thought. He heard the woman again:

_"You deserve to die!" _No, it could not be Naraku. He had witnessed that woman kill Naraku first hand. It could not have been Naraku. It certainly was not that woman Kagura wandering around his lands. She would know better than to intrude on his lands again. It left one incarnation and the wonder about the girl being in his territory. Then he heard nearby demons thriving on the jewel's power.

"The shard! It is close!"

"Yes, I can feel its power. It calls to me!"

"I must have it! I must!"

Sesshomaru watched the last embers fade into the darkness and looked up at the night sky. Yes, the girl would have the last jewel shard that woman sought after. But what was the reason that she would have such a thing? Was she protecting whatever legacy Naraku had before he died? Whatever the cause, Sesshomaru found it interesting that the girl was on his lands, instead of going towards the one thing on everyone's mind, including his:

the jewel protector.

0o0

It had been two weeks since she arrived at Totosai's home. And in those two weeks, it had been nothing but waiting for him to finish a weapon for her—she had been weaponless since then, after all. But there was not one thing she could do while near Totosai's, besides worrying about demons coming into his home and destroying everything in their path just for the jewel. But he always reassured her:

"They can't make it past my gates. These lands have been deserted since I found them long ago, so there is no reason to come into these lands without dying," and it was true. She would see some demons almost wandering around, thirsty and wanting the jewel for themselves, but they somehow lost the scent. At first, this scared the living daylights out of her because she was always prepared for the worst. Then, over time, she was used to a wandering demon collapsing over 100 feet away because of the desolate dry air around (it was no wonder why Totosai always looked so shriveled).

Most of the time, she would sit inside the huge skull Totosai called "home" (while it was very creepy at times, it wasn't bad for shelter) and watch him forge items into a bow. He didn't talk much during these times, so when she was bored, she mostly walked outside and sat around for a while. Perhaps it was wishful thinking that she could go back to her group, but she wasn't very alone while at his home.

_Kagome and Shippo sat outside and watched numerous demons come and go around them. As amazing as it was that they were not going near them, something in Kagome pained to see demons thrive on the jewel and risk everything in their life to get the little item. It almost reminded her of Inuyasha when he feels the jewel's power emitting into the air. Ah, she almost forgot about him—Inuyasha._

_It had been a little nice without him around. It was quieter, that was sure. Of course, she could not forget what he had done to her in recent events, but there was a part of her. This part wanted to forgive Inuyasha for what he had done and caused her (much less forced to be protected by Sesshomaru). But the other part of her wanted to say so many nasty words to him that it would cause moral shame. _

_How she wished to see everyone again, including Inuyasha! Perhaps not Kikyo and maybe not Miroku with his perverted antics, but to become a family again would be wonderful! Then again, she had this big fear of returning: what would happen? Would she be attacked like she had been for quite some time? Would there be someone there to protect her besides Shippo this time? Perhaps she was just getting lonely out there._

_Then she was reminded of Sesshomaru. No matter how she viewed him, he was still cold and still a ruthless demon. But he saved her life so many times and protected her from harm countless times that she almost wondered about the character of Sesshomaru. Why was he suddenly helping her? She always thought he hated her! "Kagome!" She jumped out of her thoughts and looked up; someone was running towards her._

_At first, she feared for her life that it was Inuyasha and that she was going to die. And when no arrow came for her head, she relaxed and waited for this person to come. And part of her wished it was either Sesshomaru or Inuyasha, particularly because of protection against demons (she couldn't tell if this part wanted Sesshomaru or Inuyasha more). Shippo looked up at her and groaned._

_"Looks like we have some company," she nodded and looked back up to the person. This time, they were standing in front of her, looking down. _

_"Long time no see, Kagome," he said. Kagome's eyes widened and she quickly stood up._

_"Kouga?" In disbelief, she had not realized that Kouga usually followed her wherever she went. Shippo stood beside Kagome as Kouga smiled brightly towards his woman and took her hands. _

_"You know I would never leave you alone, Kagome," he whispered. Shippo almost wanted to gag, as well as Kagome. She smiled, though, and started to nervously laugh._

_"O-Oh, you don't say, Kouga? I'm flattered," she replied back. "How did you find me?" Kouga smugly smiled and took pride in his finding._

_"I smelled your scent from miles away! Any demon can smell you! It's a mystery why there aren't more here, after that jewel," Kagome felt nervous again. So, she could be found if they really wanted to kill her. What kind of barrier was around this home anyway? Kouga began to look around. "Speaking of which, I didn't smell the Mutt's scent. Where the hell is he? I need to beat him for leaving you here alone and vulnerable!" Kagome sighed._

_"He's not here," she said. Kouga looked down at her and groaned._

_"Yeah, but I can smell someone's scent on you. It might be his, but I think it's someone else. And it's disgusting!" Kagome looked up at Kouga and noticed jealousy. Was it Sesshomaru's scent? For that matter, could she tell Kouga that she's been around the Lord of the Western Lands? She knew about his hatred towards him, so she decided against it; she shrugged._

_"Might be. It's been a while since I last saw Inuyasha, but maybe I didn't take a thorough enough bath the last time," Kouga nodded in agreement and went back to talking to his pack and Kagome. It was nice to have some company there, instead of just the diligent Totosai working on her bow and Shippo always wondering when they'd see Sango and Miroku again._

_From all the ruckus, Totosai stepped outside to figure what the noise was about, and when he saw the wolf demon near the jewel protector, he kind of stepped in between. Kouga was pushed back behind Totosai and he had his back turned to Kouga. Kagome looked him in the eyes and saw worry. _

_"Kagome, you must stay away from this man! He is only looking for the jewel!" Kouga blinked in disbelief this time as Kagome sighed in relief. As much as she liked Kouga, he was a bit too clingy (almost like Hojo, but a little more) and a bit annoying at times. "And you!" Totosai turned to Kouga; Kouga jumped back in surprise, "You must stay away from this girl! You only seek for the jewel and her powers, nothing more. Get off of my lands if you mean well!" Kouga couldn't believe that this old demon, whatever he was, was saying this! _

_Kouga wanted to yell at the old man for saying absurdity, but knew better than to become angry at someone that's only protecting Kagome. He sighed and stepped around Totosai to say his goodbye. And by that, he took Kagome's hands once more and whispered: "I'll come back for you, Kagome, and I'll make you mine forever," she nervously laughed again and felt him let go of her hands. As much as she disliked him for his clingy side, part of her missed that little company. Kouga turned around and began to run with his pack. Kagome only waved goodbye._

"Kagome?" Totosai snapped her out of her thoughts and she blinked a few times. She looked at the old demon in front of her—she could barely see in this dark cave in the first place, so she couldn't tell if it was a rock in front of her—and listened to his voice again. "Tell me what happened between you and Inuyasha." Ah, that's why she went back to the past to her recent visitor.

And so she told him. She went into the little details as he started to work on her weapon. Imagine, nearly two weeks of waiting to have this new thing attached to her and she still has to bring up Inuyasha! Although, she didn't cry. Countless times she had to stop, though, to get through the story, not one tear was shed when talking about what happened. And although it pains her heart to know that the love of her life will never love her like that ever again, it was gradually moving away. It was nothing but a fading memory.

She even went further with the story and started to talk about her run-in with Sesshomaru and his pack. Totosai even looked up a few times at her when she started to talk. There was something about the man that interested her in many ways—and it may have been because of his protection against Inuyasha and Kikyo. But when she got to the end of the story with Sesshomaru, she nearly stopped and thought about how it really wasn't a dream after all. It was actually happening.

Totosai looked at her and held out the bow. Kagome looked down at her new weapon. It was an ivory color with a thick string. The ivory wood had numerous carvings on it (it looked ancient to Kagome, so she could not understand the characters) including designs that symbolized the wind and light. Totosai observed the bow a few times, making sure the string was strong enough and testing out the arrows it came with—those shined in the dim light inside the cave.

The arrows also had this ivory color to it, but the tips of the arrow were a pitch black, almost like Yin and Yang fighting once more. They were much thinner than what she had been using before meeting up with Totosai; it may have to be some time before she could master her own weapon. Totosai glanced back at her. "This is your new bow and arrows to accompany your journey, Kagome. Treat it well," he handed the cold bow to her and she felt the heaviness against the lightness of the arrows. Yes, it would be a long time before she could master just holding the darn thing. _I bet Totosai will make me train on my own!_

Well, it was partially true. "As much as you don't want to hear this, Kagome," she looked up from her bow (it was beautiful, according to her. She couldn't let her eyes drift away!) and noticed the seriousness in his eyes. "I believe it is best for you to go back to Inuyasha and train with your old pack," Kagome's eyes widened and she stood up in the cave.

"Absolutely not!" She yelled. The echo lasted for over ten seconds, and her arm was getting pretty tired from holding her weapon. Shippo even stood up for her, saying that it was unjust to have Kagome join Inuyasha after what she had been through. "I will not put my life in danger again!" Totosai sighed.

"It was foretold that together, you and Inuyasha would complete the jewel once more and get rid of it once and for all. You must finish your journey the way you began your journey, despite the troubles and setbacks you may have. Plus, you will get plenty of training with your new bow!" As much as Kagome wanted to smack the old man's smile off the bottom of his face, it was no point in arguing with him.

She put her hand over her eyes and thought for a brief moment. What would happen if she did return? Would things be awkward? Or would they be just like before, except a woman joined their group and now wants her soul? She didn't know what to do, whether to wander off on her own and train by herself, or to get practice first while protecting herself at the same time. _I wonder if Sesshomaru would jump back to help me, _she laughed to herself, _ah, maybe not. _

She looked down at Totosai again and heard Shippo: "Kagome, are you sure this will be okay?" Of course she was not, but what could she tell a child? That his adopted mother was sure to die if they went back to them? But what had been engraved in the past was now coming back to haunt her, and she knelt down and smiled.

"I'm sure. Let's go back and see everyone again."

**Wow. It's been a long time, hasn't it? Hi, I'm TheLostSpirit. You may remember me from such stories like this one here! **

**I think this is more of a filler chapter, but it still has some importance, like Kagome and Shippo going back to Inuyasha and the gang! GASP! That was one of the reasons why they weren't really written in the story more: that was the surprise! And what's more of a surprise is that Kanna has a jewel shard! DUN DUN DUNNNN.**

**I think all of you got the last chapter wrong. It's not romance, not yet. That'll come...well, I don't want to spoil a thing. I just made it so that Sesshomaru can tolerate humans more, just like his father! 8D**

**Uh, I think that's all I really need to say. Kouga will be coming around a few more times. Just wait for that.**

**Sorry that I haven't updated since the 2nd of May. I got done with school the week after, I've had work, I had this golf tournament last weekend and I recently broke off a relationship that lasted for almost two years. So I'm down in the dumps right now.**

**If you want to make me smile, review! I'm always smiling when I get reviews from people, that's for sure! And if you have any questions, comments, or concerns about ANYTIHNG, review and I'll answer them sometime! 8)**

**Next update? It shouldn't take me as long as this chapter. I'll say next Friday will be the day, if not before. **

**Until next time!**

**TLS  
**


	19. Chapter 19 : Tampered Reunion

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**NOTE: There's a flashback in this. It's not a BIG flashback, but it's there. It's in _italics. _**

The air breezed through the hairs on her neck as they flew farther and farther into the sky. Totosai was on his ride next to Shippo and her as she rode on Shippo's back once again. Totosai was merely directing them towards the group they left behind (not their recent group, either). She closed her eyes and felt nothing but floating on air, simply riding the wind until she would reach her destination. She was relaxed.

Although, she was scared out of her mind, that's for sure.

How was she going to react? Was there going to be a grand argument between her and Kikyo? Her and Inuyasha, too? Perhaps she was going to be attacked once she got into the area and she would have to escape once more—why weren't they searching for her? She was worrying again and she looked down at the ground far away from her. What if they were right below her and she wasn't expecting a thing?

Rather, how were the others going to react? She was already feeling a tinge of regret, a lot of guilt, and tons of pain coming back to her. The regret was from leaving Sango and Miroku behind—she didn't really have a say in that, actually, since Sesshomaru made her mind up on the spot. Guilt, because of the way she treated Inuyasha before she left, leaving him in the condition like that. And pain, because, well, of the love of her life that was fading away.

She didn't want to open her eyes. Kagome continued to keep them closed, knowing that if she did see a blur of red down below them, she would most likely get nervous and tell Shippo to run away as quickly as possible. But he would ask why she was so nervous and scared when she told him it was going to be okay. She would have no answer to his question and would continue to tell him to run as far away as possible.

She went back to that time, when she was saved from them and was far away from both Kikyo and Inuyasha. She was under a new protection, a new demon that took her under his wing and possibly called her a ward. Then again, he was cold-hearted and never took a liking to her anyway. He was probably glad to get rid of her, to finally run away from her after what he had been through with the jewel.

_The jewel, _Kagome thought. She unconsciously pulled the spherical item out from under her somewhat new garment (she forgot who gave that to her for a moment) and felt its power illuminate the already blue sky. If it weren't for the sun, somehow, demons would be coming from every land possible because this would be their guide in the sky. She quickly put the jewel back in her outfit, in case the glowing power directed someone from far away to come after her.

For now, this would do, going back to Inuyasha. As much as it pained her she wanted to see Sango and Miroku again, perhaps Kaede, to see if she needed help around the village. Hell, even other villagers could use her powers for something, probably. If she really wanted to, she would tell Shippo to go off course and try to find Sesshomaru—what was her obsession with him? _He only protected me because he hates Inuyasha, _she thought, _there's nothing else to it. _The thought of seeing Sango and Miroku, though, made her somewhat happy. _I'll have to forget about Sesshomaru. _

Would they protect her from Inuyasha and Kikyo? Would they have to stay awake during the night, to make sure Kikyo would not kill her in her sleep? _Great, I probably won't be able to dream, _she thought. Kagome sighed and still thought about Sango and Miroku. What had they been up to since they last parted?

The thought quickly went away and she opened her eyes. She could see the village not too far off in the distance, and it was going to be a short time before she would see everyone. By now, Inuyasha probably picked up her scent from the wind and Kikyo is probably preparing an arrow just for her. Sango and Miroku are probably clueless on why Inuyasha is on edge, and Sesshomaru is nowhere around to protect her this time.

She's all alone.

"Kagome," Totosai's old voice resonated through the air; Kagome looked up at him. He had most likely been staring at her this whole time. "We are going to land soon." She nodded; she knew. She didn't need to be reminded about the whole thing, really. She was already nervous about meeting them again after all they had been through, she did not need more nerves to kick in at this time. Besides, who would like to see her hyperventilate while in the air?

_"Troublesome girl" _she heard. She turned around towards the lands they left and wondered about many things. Kagome kept searching for them, hoping to find someone to help her at this moment, but the only people to help were Totosai and Shippo. "Kagome," she turned back around; they were really close, "do you think they're waiting for us?" Shippo asked. She swallowed whatever was left in her that spelled 'pride' and forced a smile.

"Of course, Shippo. Why wouldn't they be?" She couldn't see Shippo's reaction, but she closed her eyes. She certainly did not want to see them standing there, prepared to fight until sundown or anything. No, she would leave that when they landed—if they landed.

"I don't know," Shippo was a little reluctant about it, "I mean, what if they still hate us?" Kagome unconsciously grabbed her bow from her back and slung it around to her lap. Yes, if they still hated them and they were prepared to fight, she would have to do the same now. All was fair in love and war, after all. _Though, I don't think I'd be fighting for love anymore, _she mused. Kagome could not get an answer out in time; Totosai stepped in and the air seemed to slow down.

"We're here," he exclaimed. Kagome was afraid to open her eyes, but she knew she had to. _Come on, Kagome, you're brave enough to open them! "We're leaving, girl" _she heard again and she opened her eyes; why was that voice coming back? And she certainly wasn't ready to open her eyes—she just wanted to see if they were really here! She sighed and looked around.

The village had not changed much since she last left. The same huts were still standing, the same children were running around, and almost the same villagers walked around—there were a few new villagers nearby. When they landed, the children stopped what they were doing and looked to the three of them. Some were surprised, some were scared, and some were happy (they must've known Kagome). Kagome was still looking around, seeing if they were really waiting for her—they were not outside.

"Lady Sango!" So they were still in the village. Kagome slid off Shippo and brushed off whatever was left on her outfit and Shippo transformed back to his original form. Totosai did not leave his ride. He was already leaving. Kagome looked up at him going into the air. "I hope your journey is successful, Kagome," he said to her. Then, he was gone, past the forest and back towards his home. _Great, now all I have is my bow, which I have no idea how to use, and Shippo to protect me if something happens._

_"Kagome" _she heard again. Kagome started to lose her mind, she knew it. She started to look around, but she knew he was not near or wanting to be near her now. He had protected her before and he had already gotten tired from protecting her; she didn't need him to strain himself, after all. Kagome directed her attention back to the village and saw the ones that she actually cared about walking towards her in shock, as if they were asking: "Why did you come back?" She smiled.

"K-Kagome!" Both Miroku and Sango yelled to her. Yes, she missed them so much! Sango was the first to run to her and hug her so tight; Miroku merely wanted to join, but Sango slapped him before he could try anything. Shippo just shook his head in disappointment at Miroku and they all could only laugh—it was like they never left in the first place. Although their happiness would not last, they enjoyed every minute of her homecoming. Before Sango could ask her question:

"Why does a fool return to the wretched torture chamber?" Kagome knew this voice and didn't want to look away from the happy faces from Sango and Miroku. But they were already looking over at her and Kagome knew she was waiting for her head to turn. So she obliged; Kikyo was standing in front of Inuyasha with the same expressionless eyes motivated to kill while Inuyasha was hurt between the two of them—he knew he was already guilty to begin with, why suffer more? Kikyo smiled. "Because he knows no better than to return home," she answered.

Kagome watched as Sango and Miroku both slid in front of her—although they had no weapons except for Miroku's staff with them—and stared down at Kikyo. Inuyasha, too, stared at Kikyo with worry in his eyes; this was the only reason why he did not tell her that Kagome was near, because he did not need to hurt her anymore.

_Inuyasha's nose twitched. He knew this scent, although it was very faint and it had been a long time since he smelt something like that. No other being on the planet would have this scent, because it was invented 500 years later. His eyes trailed to the door and looked at the far forest. Somewhere, she was there. Somewhere, she was near and he would see her soon. This scent, it was coming towards him, but he didn't know why._

_When she left, he felt like the world was a little less brighter because he had always been near her. He almost regretted falling back in love with Kikyo just to have Kagome back at his side again, just like the past. But he knew it was wishful thinking, a silly thing to be dreaming. Kikyo grabbed him out of his thoughts:_

_"What is it?" Inuyasha peered away from the door and saw her interested in what he knew. He shrugged. Some days ago, she confessed that she could no longer feel the jewel's power, that it had chosen its protector. He did not understand why it chose Kagome; perhaps it was the thought that she had been searching for the shards ever since she broke the jewel. _

_"Ah, it was a child outside," he lied. He had never lied to Kikyo before; why was this any different? He felt a little guilty for lying to her, but he realized that the one thing he had been protecting for more than three years now was near, and he didn't want to kill her. Not over a silly jewel, a silly concept like power. He wanted her to live after all she had been through, especially since the well was closed. Then, he heard a child._

_"Lady Sango!" She landed. Sango and Miroku was next to them. "There's a girl and a fox-demon here!" Kikyo quickly rose and looked down at Inuyasha. He knew his ears were drooped in guilt and he was saddened that she caught the child. He didn't look up at her; she probably saw them through the door and knew that she was here. She looked down at him in anger._

_"You lied to me," she whispered. He nodded._

_"I can't let you kill her," he whispered back. She scoffed and walked outside; he would take a little longer before rising from the ground and seeing Kagome once more—only this time, it wasn't the same girl he met three years ago and protected for so long._

Kagome swallowed more of her pride and stepped forward. Kikyo and Inuyasha watched as she stepped away from the back and moved forward, almost like she was brave enough to fight them by herself! She certainly had the strength and willpower to fight them, that was true. Sango and Miroku watched as she walked more towards the two of them; perhaps this was her bravery at her finest.

Contrary to their thoughts, Kagome hardly knew what to expect, much less think about. She was scared, not knowing what Kikyo would say or how Inuyasha would act around her. The drooped ears of Inuyasha, though, gave her some relief as she stopped in the middle of both groups. Then, what no one expected:

She bowed.

Why? She hardly respected the two of them, and she could care less about either one of them (although Inuyasha was still holding onto her heart for some reason). If she could, she would never be around the two of them again—perhaps never seeing them until the afterlife even! She rose from her position and stared at both of them: they were both surprised. She gripped her bow and saw Kikyo's gaze deter from hers to the bow.

"I am not here to make amends," Kagome started. Where was this coming from? Was it the hidden bravery coming out? Perhaps fear was talking for her? "I am here to finish what I started," and before she could continue, Kikyo remarked:

"Oh? And what is that?" Kagome peered away from Kikyo and over to Inuyasha. The sight of him just standing there brought tears to her eyes! It upset her that he was just there, watching her crumble. Her heart hurt, her chest was heavy, and her eyes were filling with water. Inuyasha couldn't look her in the eyes and looked down to the ground—he was already full of regret, he needed no more torture. Perhaps he was the fool in the torture chamber.

Kagome blinked and felt a few tears run down her face. She needed no pity right now. "To finish shard hunting with the one I started with in the past." Inuyasha looked up at her and she was holding as much pain as she could in her. "Because, after all," more tears fell, "you'll finally rid me in your life after we fulfill this fate," Inuyasha took a step forward, trying to find the words tell her everything on his mind.

But nothing came, and she went away with the ones she cared about. He was left behind once more. Kikyo scoffed again and turned to Inuyasha. "She'll get what's coming to her after the jewel is complete," and she began to walk away. He felt the leash around his neck tugging towards Kikyo, but he continued to watch Kagome and the others carry on in life without any pain. He wanted that happiness again, to be a part of the group. What was a poor dog to do to be forgiven?

For once, he didn't know who needed his protection.

0o0

_This is the right direction towards the jewel shard, but this scent, _he thought to himself. The two wards next to him were walking along without a care while he protected them, anxious to find the source of the power as well as standing guard. The little girl turned around to face her protector and smiled.

"Lord Sesshomaru, where are we heading right now?" Sesshomaru did not answer. His mind was too fixated on the scent. _It smells of that rotting swordsman that created Father's swords. _Sesshomaru turned his head in the forest and looked towards the villagers on the edge of the town. They had no sense of what could happen if they were that careless and insignificant. With the scent around them, there was no doubt that it was emitting from the town. Sesshomaru abruptly stopped and kept his eyes on the town.

The other ward turned around to notice his master's footsteps coming to a halt. Instead, he saw his Lord walking one way and the girl walking another direction. "R-Rin! Lord Sesshomaru is directing us to walk with him, not away from him!" Rin turned around and giggled.

"Silly me! Thank you, Master Jaken!" She ran back to Sesshomaru's side and walked with him—Jaken was left behind once more. Sesshomaru did not stop for his wards nor did he find a reason to in the first place. This scent, it lured his beast because of past experiences with it, but why was it fascinating? Surely his beast wanted nothing but to get rid of this scent, to purify it from its hands and take care of the person behind the scent, but now it was fascinated.

Through the trees he strode. This scent, it allured him to look left and right for the source. He knew who this person was—there was nothing like it anywhere in the world—and as much as he despised them, he couldn't help but wonder if something changed. There was something mixed with this scent, a smell of sadness overseeing the village like a thorn stuck between the rose. He felt his beast getting anxious; it was getting restless.

Then his feet leapt from tree to tree, with his mind forgetting about the two wards left behind—they would be safe from harm anyway. They were too close to the village so no demons would come to them. He was almost to the edge of the village. What would he see when he arrived? He could smell the humans stench all over, especially the familiar scents from the day he rescued that girl. He could also smell that half-breed and the dead girl he'd rather tag along instead of something alive. 

_Humans are nothing but useless vermin, _he thought. _"Maybe Rin and I are growing on you," _he stopped on a nearby tree and saw the village laid out in front of him. If he truly wished for it, he would bring nothing but destruction on the land; Inuyasha had not noticed his scent yet and that dead woman next to him knew nothing but the group in front of her.

He saw the six of them staring down at one another, with four almost smiling because they were together again and the other two painfully looking at the others with no regret. Sesshomaru sat down on a large branch and looked at them. _Foolish creatures, for they have no remorse for what they have done, _he looked at Inuyasha especially. _For a half-breed, this one is surprised at his lack of solidity, _he noticed the dead woman speak.

"Why does a fool return to the wretched torture chamber?" _A riddle_, he thought, _without an answer. _He noticed the dead woman smirk and the others surround the scent he followed. _So, it was the girl. _His beast calmed, then spiked again with aggression. Sesshomaru knew to calm it down, but it was painfully hard—why? "Because he knows no better than to return home," the dead woman finished. _A fool knows no home. _

The humans spat over something useless and he watched the girl in the outfit he gave her—why did she still have it? Was it something that cherishing? She had fear in her eyes, a grave look on her face that darkened the almost beauty that she had. And yet, from this fear, he knew this look—it was a look of determination. She had it when in battle with Naraku and when faced with the dead woman in the forest. _"You deserve to die!" _echoed through his mind. Why was he fascinated?

Then, she moved in front of her protectors. He noticed a new bow that occupied her body, one that was of ebony white and almost a pitch black string. The carvings were of his fathers, yet she was not one of the dog demons. Why did Totosai create a weapon like that for her? Almost instantaneously, he flashed back to the battle with Naraku and felt nothing but respect for the girl. She was brave and wise, no doubt, yet there was still something holding back her power, as if a curse had been put on the girl. Was it her anger?

She bowed. _What a fool, _he thought, _for they should be treated with no respect and with the highest amount of pain, _then he realized it was his beast talking. Why? "I am not here to make amends," Sesshomaru noted the pain in her voice. He almost missed her. "I am here to finish what I started." Before he could hear more of her, he had to listen to the dead wench.

"Oh? And what is that?" Then, the new scent again. He noticed how her eyes blinked rapidly, as if keeping something away from falling. He saw tears stream down her face and the way she held her composure. How he wished to shred the half-breed and the dead woman apart, but he could not. He did not want to be seen. Inuyasha deserved no tears from the girl, so why was she full of them for him? Was she that idiotic? _Humans are nothing but useless creatures, _he thought again.

He cared not for what she said after that. The way she looked with the tears on her face made him feel like his father. He felt sympathy towards the girl! But why? He wanted to reach out to the girl and protect her again—maybe his beast wanted to have something like this again. Suddenly, a sharp object flew past his eyes and he turned to the direction where it came from. A woman in the trees stood nearby as he turned his attention away from what he came for. "Such impudence," she remarked. "Yet, so touching. Humans are rather forgiving, are they not?" Why was she near?

"You still mock this one as though you can defeat me," he replied, "I have given you enough warnings to stay away." She looked over at Sesshomaru and smiled.

"Ha! Here you are, Sesshomaru, watching the human girl stick up for herself! You have changed from the cold-blooded assassin to the heart-warming demon overnight!" Sesshomaru growled; he was demoted to a half-breed in one sentence. He was going to leap over to the tree where she was, but she pulled her fan out. "We will not fight here. They do not know we are here for a reason," Sesshomaru still stood up on his branch with red in his eyes.

"What do you want, Kagura?" She smiled and looked out to Kagome. How she despised that woman! She would have to contact Kikyo in the future for vengeance.

"A battle," she replied. Sesshomaru reached for his Bakusaiga, "I told you not here, you mutt. I mean a true battle, a few months from now. You'll know when you are needed to fight," She blew the wind towards the humans in the village and he noticed her gaze on the girl. "I promise you'll know." A gust of wind was blown towards him and she escaped. Before she disappeared completely, she said to him: "Three against two, with one not knowing how to wield a weapon. Intriguing."

Sesshomaru snarled at the woman. No matter, she was gone anyway, but the thought of her ran through his mind and his anger towards her grew more. The red in his eyes were hard to fade, but over time, they did. He looked back to the human girl in the village and saw her back to him. _I must protect, _he thought. His beast snarled for revenge, for the mere sight of that woman again would be the last time he would need to see her.

Yes, he would have her back.

**WOAH. What kind of an ending is that? Romantic? Dramatic? GUESS! 8D**

**Well hey there. I'm updating! It's been a while, hasn't it? Not really, but we'll say it has been. I can't wait for the fight coming up in a few chapters with Kagura and Sesshomaru (and others, but I won't name names yet!). IT'S GOING TO BE EPIC!**

**So, after this chapter, it's all but ROMANCE and DRAMA. That's pretty much it. There's going to be an all-Kagome chapter somewhere in the next chapter or the chapter after that. Then Romance all over this story will happen! 8D**

**Oh, I forgot to mention something before in the previous chapter: Uh, my dividers were taken out mysteriously, so it looks like my chapters are nothing but WORDS ALL OVER THE PAGE! D8 So I am going to be editing all my stories that had dividers and replacing them with new dividers! (Remember, my dividers were stars. Now they're zeroes and o's) So, if you guys get a bunch of alerts saying something about this story being changed, that's why. I'm not doing much to the chapters.**

**WITH THAT SAID, I'll be replying to reviews in two chapters! Exciting! 8D You should totally review if you're reading this story, tell me how I'm doing, if you have any questions about something...ANYTHING! I reply to all!**

**Thank you for reading, thank you to those that have me on alerts or favorites somewhere, and review! My lovely readers are lovely indeed, after all.**

**Until next time!**

**TLS**

_Next update? Uh, let's say next Friday 8D_**  
**


	20. Chapter 20 : Fascinated Fury

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**NOTE: Long chapter is LONG. Be warned.  
**

It had been a month. Days passed by as though they were merely hours, and hours flew by as if they were seconds. But seconds dragged on for hours and days dragged on for weeks just sitting around those they cared not about. They were still split apart, still with others when their own wishes would bring them together. But they realized nothing, still in the illusion of the morals set by their own principles and lifestyles.

Soon enough, it would end and everyone would collide. It would not be a fantastic meeting, something seen by the clichéd movies one had heard about and missed. Yet, it would be something that would spark a worried feeling sprouting from one to another. Days would not go by though. But they would not be seen for a while. Not yet; not before the grand finale came together. Yes, it had been a month.

But it was only a month.

0o0

Shortly after his arrival to the village and with his encounter with Kagura, Sesshomaru left the place he sat and disappeared into the trees. He was troubled about the what ifs—if they would even arise if he were to be found by the group. What if he were found by Inuyasha because of his beast's scent? What if the woman was endangered by the fact that he was around her? What if the dead woman knew of his company in the first place? They all ran through his mind, and they all bothered him for no reason.

He needed no trouble from Inuyasha, especially, since his first priority was keeping the woman alive long enough to see the jewel finished. He found that being around the woman made him at ease, knowing that she was safe under his protection and not under constant fear around Inuyasha. And he certainly did not need the dead woman coming after him again—his beast was already crying for her death. After what she had done to his honor or pride, she deserved nothing but a grueling afterlife.

And so he ran. Like a spineless dog in fear of its master, he ran through the forest back to his wards again. He felt an urge to stay in the shadows until nightfall, just to be aware of the woman's place in the village. He sensed no threat for the woman when he was there (unwelcomed if detected) nor did he feel any vengeance in the air around the dead woman. Then again, what does the dead feel?

While running back to his wards, he could only come up with one thought: Why? Why was he so infatuated with the woman at the time? The ability to sense jewel shards was nothing out of the ordinary nor was it extraordinary either. She had no beauty in her, she had no basic training in fighting; she was useless to any other demon. But to him, it was nothing but fantastical fantasies, something out of the blue for him. It was like the human quality he once heard about from his father, something about "attraction" or "obsession."

Was he attracted to the girl? Or was his beast attracted to her? Either way, he would reach no answer nor did he really want to reach one in the first place. His heart did not yearn for the woman, but it felt the urge to run back and keep her away from Inuyasha as much as possible and find the jewel shard together. The only reason she was in his life in the first place was because of protection and because of his lands being threatened. Without that, she would cease to exist.

And would he care? By all means, he wished the human race would cease to exist in the first place. He would not have realized the quality of humans if not for the woman. He would not have thought about his parents so much if not for the woman. He could not have learned so much about the human body if not for humans. Hell, he would not have heard the stories of the heart if not for the woman.

So what was going to happen? Was this when he would fall desperately in love with her? That was what his father always said, that it was love that kept him and the human together. No, he would not go down the same road as his father. He would not end up like the abomination of his father nor would he see himself loving any human of any kind, priestess or not. But why was he fascinated by the girl?

_"Maybe Rin and I are growing on you" _ran through his mind and he listened to her voice over and over again. Why was she plaguing his mind? Did she set some curse on his soul because of the deeds he had done to her? No, she could not have hated him nor could she have had any resentment being around him. After all, they spent time together, looking for each other when one had fear and the other knew what to do.

Sesshomaru saw his wards not too far ahead—they were still safe, still careless about what was going on with him. He thought about the woman again. What went through her head when he went away? She must've been terrified, but he held regrets for leaving. He never wanted to leave nor did he want to have one less person by his side. He wanted to go back and wanted to be with the girl, but he simply could not. It would dishonor him, and honor was everything he had left.

It was to grow with him in life and grow with him in death. It was the most important thing in his life, the one thing that no one would replace. But then the woman entered his life and honor meant nothing if he were not protecting her. The first time he said her name, it was like an angel granted him a voice for the first time. It was like his first word. And when she was in his arms under his wing, under his protection, he cared not about those threatening to take his title. He landed on the ground in front of his wards wide-eyed. It was not possible.

Was it love? "Lord Sesshomaru?" He heard a little girl's voice call out to him. He blinked a few times and let his worries wash away. No, it was not possible nor would it ever be possible. "Did something frighten you?" Jaken answered for him.

"Foolish girl!" he squawked, "Lord Sesshomaru is afraid of nothing! If anything, he had frightened the area with just his power!" Sesshomaru turned towards where the village was and wondered if the woman would be okay. Then he continued to listen to his wards talk nothing but praise about him and simply repressed anything he thought about on the way over to his wards. Then, he walked and wandered with his wards in toe.

For a month, that was all they could do. His wards were worried about his status, much to their disliking that they could not ask him because of their own fear about what he would do, and he was worried about many things. What would happen if the jewel shard was in his hand? How would he react to those after him? Would there be trouble lying ahead?

He cared not. He would get what he wanted, that's all he cared about. He wanted the shard for her so her journey would end and her own troubles would end. Then again, would he be overwhelmed by the shard's power? It was near, that was what was on his mind at the moment. He didn't care if he was going to be overpowered by the shard—he found it unlikely that the power of a shard would beat a Lord.

Every day, they would walk. Every night, they would rest because of Rin. If she were not around, they would be walking until the shard was his. He would spend several nights contemplating on numerous things, mainly about the woman. How was it that she could not feel the shard's power? Was the jewel around her neck too powerful to feel the last shard? Perhaps that was the disadvantage to the jewel for a priestess. Or, perhaps, she could not feel a shard too far away because of the jewel.

Another thing that crossed his mind was her new weapon. How was she to train? She lacked the skill with a bow and arrow and she could hardly fire the arrows in the first place. She was a powerful entity, no doubt, but her power was always caged away and the skills she had lacked the sufficient training priestesses usually go through. The one time he thought she was trained was when she fought Naraku, and that was all.  
One night, before wandering towards the shard (which was getting closer to the village in some odd way) again, he made up his mind and beast's mind about the woman. She hardly knew how to train for herself and he knew the dead one would not teach her anything. He rose from the camp and looked down at his wards.

They would be safe—she would not. He'd train her, just for one night. Perhaps it would not just be training, but it would be something to just see her again. It would kill him if he could not see her soon, especially since he's been thinking nonstop about her. Maybe when he would talk to her again, maybe things would be okay. Then, maybe, he could focus more on the important things. So, he rushed off without disturbing his wards' slumber. He would get there and hope she was training.

He'd have her back.

0o0

_"How was it being protected by Sesshomaru? Was living with him Hell?" _was the first question Kagome received when alone with Sango and Miroku. And she didn't answer them with a straight answer, either. _"I didn't live with him," _she only said to them. Technically, she was only there to be healed and be protected by him. She wasn't there to have romantic relations with him.

She wondered what it would've been like if he never left in the first place. _He'd probably still be irritated at me, _she sighed. She couldn't help it; the demon was on her mind because she never had the time to thank him properly for what he had done for her. Well, that, and she just wanted to see him again for some reason she couldn't place. Her heart still yearned for Inuyasha and her mind wanted Sesshomaru. What was she to choose?

Kagome tried listening to the conversations between Sango and Miroku every now and again. She didn't really care about their conversations, as much as she wanted to listen and care, but she was worried about other things. She had to focus on different topics going through her mind as well as protect herself from any attack now. She looked down at her bow.

When was she going to have time training with her new weapon? "Kagome," she looked up and noticed Sango with a quizzical look on her face. Kagome didn't want to worry anyone, especially Sango and Miroku. "Is something the matter?" She shook her head.

"N-Nope! Just thinking about stuff is all!" Sango looked over at Miroku, who added to the conversation, much to Kagome's disliking.

"Are you worried the jewel will not be finished?" Kagome shrugged. Well, they guessed the half of it. She looked back down at her bow and sighed. Actually, when would they have time to train her new weapon in?

"I think I'm worried about that and how I'm going to fight with this thing," she whispered. Sango and Miroku looked to each other again and noticed Shippo running across the shack to Kagome.

"Why don't we practice at night!" Sango looked down at the kid demon and Kagome thought about it. Of course, she would not fight demons at night or hunt down anything until she truly knew how to hold the bow (it was no ordinary weapon). It could work on many levels, including the number of targets she had in the forest. In fact, she knew the perfect target:

Inuyasha's tree. "Yes! You can practice at night, Kagome! If you practice close enough to the village, no demons will harm you. And when you're done training yourself, we can head out to search for the jewel again," Sango smiled to her friend. Yes, this could work. She could work on using her bow and as many arrows she needed from Kaede and perhaps work on more fighting techniques as well.

She looked up at her friends and smiled. "Thank you! I don't know what I'd do without you guys," Sango and Miroku both smiled back and they went on talking about what life was like without Kagome. Kagome did not care about what Inuyasha or Kikyo did for that matter. What mattered was her ability to grow as a fighter, not as a joking priestess everyone seemed to mock. She was going to make it as a priestess.

For a month, they didn't move from the village. Although Sango told her it was because she was training, it was as though no one wanted to finish the jewel anymore but her. And when it was finished, they would start running around, trying to find her again. But Kagome kept to her training schedule and would leave every night for at least an hour with a lot of arrows to keep her busy. The first night, one she didn't want to remember, was horrible. She couldn't hold the bow straight because of its weight! But she'd get the hang of it, sooner or later.

0o0

One night, she was shooting an arrow to Inuyasha's tree when she flashed back to that time. She saw him still pinned to the tree, still sleeping peacefully under the sun. So when she shot the arrow, she was worried that she hit him and was saddened by the thought of killing Inuyasha by her own power. She wanted no deaths on her hands, unless they were demons she knew nothing about. Unless they were bloodthirsty, she didn't want anyone to die.

So she kept at it, hitting the same tree over and over again, almost in the same spot. She was aiming for the middle of the smooth part of the tree, where Inuyasha was originally pinned, but she kept missing by almost a foot above the target! Perhaps it was the thought that she could be killing Inuyasha over and over again that made her lose her focus. Or perhaps it was the thought that she was almost getting over him in the first place.

Was it the thought that she saw him fading away from her? A terrible thought at first, especially since she had spent nearly four years trying to have someone love her; but he was walking away from her with someone else on his heart and mind. She could not focus on her target and started to have thoughts stray in and out. Her mind was racing for answers to unasked questions, and she was asking questions that had no answers. She was in a trap in her own mind, trying to find a way out.

"You are pathetic," someone told her. Kagome blinked and looked next to the tree. It was someone she never wanted to see nor talk to in the first place. "How is it that you cannot hit a simple mark on a tree? You are supposedly the protector of the jewel now; you are the least bit of a threat, though." Kagome was furious, purely seen by her white knuckles around her bow.

"That is why I am practicing, Kikyo," Kikyo chuckled to herself and leaned against the tree.

"Hardly. If you were training or even practicing by yourself, you would be ahead of my power," Kikyo closed her eyes and Kagome looked down at her bow. Was she even better than a normal priestess like Kaede? Could she even beat someone that had no power over a priestess yet could someone defeat the likes of her? Kagome stared in fury and pulled an arrow from the quiver.

"Then maybe I should aim at someone like you," she whispered. What made her say something like that? If Inuyasha was around, she would surely be ripped to shreds just by mocking Kikyo—threatening her would bring death to her nearly twenty times over.

She pulled herself back up and straightened her body to aim right at Kikyo. Once she did, though, she felt a little breeze of wind pass her cheek; somehow, it was hurting. Kagome stared at Kikyo, who was about ten feet away from her, and saw her own bow in her hands. The string was resonating, the arrow stuck in a tree behind Kagome. Kagome could feel blood drip from her fresh wound.

She turned around to look at the arrow and noticed it stuck right inside of a tiny hole embedded on the tree. It was hardly noticeable during the day, so to see it during the night was a miracle. Kagome heard someone walking and noticed Kikyo pass her. "Train some more, Kagome. When you're done, we'll get the shard and throw you to the side. You'll hardly get to my experience with a bow like that," and Kikyo walked away. Kagome said nothing and looked down at her bow.

It was true. She was inexperienced, had no knowledge in archery, and she hardly could figure out how to transfer her power to her arrow. She felt someone touch her leg. "I wouldn't listen to her, Kagome! Kikyo is just trying to get inside your head!" Well, it was working. She still listened to Kikyo's words echo in her mind and she couldn't even look down at the little fox demon and smile, telling him that it was okay. Instead, Kagome became aggravated.

At what, though? Maybe it was everything and anything that had frustrated her in the past two months. Maybe it was the thought that she had to do something on her own for once and there would be no one to help her out. Maybe it was just the pain of losing someone tearing at her heart. She screamed out in fury and equipped her bow with another arrow. Of course, she could not hit Kikyo, but she spun around and fired her arrow.

She didn't aim at anything, but it hit the one place she had been striving for: the mark in the tree. But she didn't care at the moment. She was too…she could not express it in words or thoughts. She was tired of having her skills compared to Kikyo or brought down to some low level that her power meant nothing to people. She yelled out: "What do I have to do to get recognition!" Shippo stood next to her, looking up at her with great sadness in his heart. After all they had been through, she was still not good enough.

He wanted to reassure her that everything was going to work out, that she would have this intense battle with Kikyo and show her that she was better! But, he knew that was a lie and he could never lie to her. What would it do, anyway? Make her think that she was good enough and then be killed for trying? He turned away from Kagome, who was almost crying, and widened his eyes at the sight of the sky.

"Aim with fury," someone whispered. Kagome thought she was losing her mind and she turned her head. Still, no one was there. And still, she could hear his voice saying things he had never said before! Shippo, though, followed the sky. "And focus on your kill," she heard the voice again. She turned her head to where it was coming from, but there was no one there again. Shippo, again, followed.

He said not a word, though, and stepped away from the two. "Why am I hearing his voice say these things to me? Sesshomaru could hardly stand me while injured," Sesshomaru was a little disheartened by her thoughts. This was not the same girl he left behind—what was that dead woman and Inuyasha doing to her? And why was his beast frantic about her wound? Whatever the case, he would have a talk with Inuyasha in the near future.

Sesshomaru did not move and she equipped her bow with another arrow. She aimed at the tree again and fired once more. She missed the target by a foot. Sesshomaru watched as most of her energy was being drained because of her anger. _So it was that, _he thought. "Picture her," he said. Kagome chuckled.

"Who, voice? Who would I picture?" Sesshomaru did not move.

"The dead one," he replied. He could not see her face, but it was growing with red color. She was getting angry again for no reason why. It was a harmless thing to say to picture Kikyo, but the thought of Kikyo alone angered her.

"Why? So I can see that she is everything I am not!" Kagome yelled and spun around. Sesshomaru still did not move an inch from his spot and stared at the woman in front of him. She still had her eyes closed with frustration and still had a death grip on the bow. It was already showing signs of wearing down due to her fingers constantly around the thing. But she did not seem easily beaten. No, she was already grabbing for another arrow.

She still did not open her eyes; Sesshomaru felt her energy growing. "Just leave me alone!" She shot an arrow towards him—it was coming directly at him. How could she aim with her eyes closed but could not hit her target with them open? He, of course, dodged the bow and sped to her. He had no idea what he was doing at the moment, but he reached out with his hand and grabbed for her bow. Yes, it burned his hand because of her energy, but his beast mattered not. It was whining and howling in pain, and yet he welcomed it.

He did not have her let go of the weapon nor did he intend to rip the thing out of her hands. No, he would let the flow of her energy constantly go back and forth inside the ebony bow and continue to burn his hand. He would regret this later on, probably, but he had already burned his hand before by washing away the memory of her wounds. It was nothing, either, the burns on his hands. He had been through worse before. Instead, he just wanted her to acknowledge him one more time.

Why? He needed no sympathy or love from a woman, much less a human. But this girl…he was drawn to her the moment she stepped foot inside his forest when Inuyasha was attacking her. And now she was staring into his face in awe, wondering why he was standing in front of her, trying to help. He wondered what she was thinking, and vice-versa—why?

When Kagome realized someone had grabbed her bow, she immediately stopped her energy from hurting anymore. Although his grip was still evident, it did not matter—she had to stop. For all she knew, it could've been another demon staring at her and she would be dead in a few seconds. But no blood came and she did not die—she opened her eyes and saw a familiar hand reaching out with her bow in hand.

She was a little slow to comprehend what was happening, but when she figured it out, she slowly turned her head to the person and widened her eyes. None other, it was Sesshomaru staring right back. Why was he here? What had made him come back to tell her simple words like _"Aim with fury" _and hope that she would aim correctly? Was he brought here on his own will? What was he thinking while staring at her?

Truth be told, she had no idea what to think. What was the man she had been protected by for nearly a month or so doing back in her life? For that matter, why was he giving her tips to train? Was he actually worried that something could possibly happen to her while in Inuyasha's protection? Did he not trust him? But Kagome didn't ask silly questions. She only whispered:

"Sesshomaru?" It was enough to make Sesshomaru feel something inside. He had no idea what, but he felt no need to express it until he found out. He felt the burns die away and he relinquished the bow back to her. She only stared at him in awe. "W-What are you-" He wasted no time.

"Why do you think you are not worth it?" So, he had been around long enough to hear her screaming. She looked down at the bow in her hand and felt suddenly depressed by it all. She couldn't cry in front of Sesshomaru—it would be shameful.

"Because she is trained to be the best," Kagome whispered. Sesshomaru refused to acknowledge the dead woman as the best priestess around.

"That woman is a disgrace to priestesses like yourself," he replied. Kagome shook her head in refusal.

"Have you seen her power?" Sesshomaru had, but Kagome continued. "I am hardly at her level of expertise, Sesshomaru. And I have no idea why you give me such advice like aiming with fury when I cannot focus in the first place," Sesshomaru noticed her lower her bow to the side and she looked up at him. Her eyes pierced through the night and the moon shining down on her hardly spelled beauty. But something about her still enticed him.

"Her power is wishful thinking. She knows nothing but death, yet a priestess should know everything about life and death," Kagome let him continue, "You hold the jewel in your possession, bringing life to you and striking death in their soul. And yet since you began this journey, you have nothing but frustration for this jewel while others strive for its peaceful demise. Do you remember the battle with Naraku?"

Kagome was almost taken aback by his seriousness about, well, everything. Why was he so fascinated by her life now? "Yes, I do," she replied. He continued—which she did not mind.

"Then you remember your anger for him because of that dead woman taking sides with the enemy," was that the reason why she killed Naraku? Because Kikyo decided to have her injured during battle by a man that she had been wishing would die? "It is the dead wench that brings your power to life. Use it to your advantage, and show the dead one that you can do everything she can do and more," why was Sesshomaru being so uplifting? Had his heart really changed that much to show compassion?

Kagome thought about his words and replied: "And if it does not work?" Sesshomaru began to walk away from her towards the way he came. Kagome was almost disappointed that he could not stay longer, but it probably meant that Inuyasha was heading their direction—she saw the flicker in Sesshomaru's eyes towards the village. She turned to him and saw his back walking away from him. Why was she scared of being alone again?

Sesshomaru continued to walk in silence. What could he say to the woman? He could not bring himself to lie to her nor could he really tell any truth. But he spoke loud enough for her to hear his last words before disappearing into the forest and going back to his wards. "It will work, for I have had fury for centuries." He turned his head to Kagome and she met his eyes. It would be the last she would hear from him for a long time. "Trust me, Kagome," and he leapt into the trees, never to be spotted again by her eyes.

0o0

For a while, she just stood there, hoping that she would see him come again and give her fighting tips. How could she trust a man, though, when men have hurt her in the past? Almost on cue, Inuyasha rushed from the village over to her with his sword out, snarling. "Where is he!" He started to yell. Kagome did not look over at him right away because of her hopes being set to see Sesshomaru again.

She had no idea why she was waiting for Sesshomaru so much. Was she that desperate to have someone really protect her? She thought over what he had said to her: just how much _fury_ did he have? _I don't want to become a cold-blooded assassin like yourself, Sesshomaru, _Kagome thought.

She saw out of the corner of her eye Inuyasha's head thrashing about, trying to look for Sesshomaru to kill him. They were brothers, but they could not find a way to settle things once and for all and to set it behind them. Inuyasha looked over at her and noticed the bow. "What did he want, Kagome? Was he after you?" She finally looked over at him and felt a bitter resentment towards him—was this the anger Sesshomaru spoke about? How could Inuyasha not put two and two together that she was training? Was it too much to ask? Kagome could not contain it any longer; she needed to be free.

She quipped her bow with another arrow—the last arrow of the night—and held it towards Inuyasha. He was not expecting that! "K-Kagome! What are you doing!" He held his sword toward her—if she did attack, he would have to fight back. She felt like she was going to scream and spun towards the tree. It hit in the dead center again, this time going farther into the bark. Inuyasha watched in amazement at her skills—they were stunning! Kagome turned to Inuyasha.

"He helped me, Inuyasha. He was never trying to hurt me," somehow, it hurt Inuyasha to hear that, only because he hurt Kagome in the past. Inuyasha drooped his ears and Kagome smiled. "At least he is gone, right?" Something saddened her heart and Inuyasha's too, but they couldn't find out the right answers to the questions. Kagome met Inuyasha's eyes. "Say," she began, "when I finish training sometime, we should talk again, about…us," truth be told, this was the first conversation they had together since being back in the village! Inuyasha sheathed his sword and turned around—facing a sad face like hers always hurt even more in person. He slowly nodded and began to walk away.

He knew she was afraid, so before he was out of her sight, he whispered: "You can still trust me, Kagome. You know I'd never hurt you again." And away he was from her. Shippo ran to her and stuck his tongue out at Inuyasha. She, however, felt tears stinging her eyes and began to clean up the number of arrows around. It was only a matter of time before she had to face her own demons (she thought it was ironic) and help herself move on. There was just one problem:

Who could she trust?

**WOW. LONG CHAPTER!**

**This is about 5000+ words right here. Longest chapter in ALL stories I have done! The reason? I'm trying to get the romance going, so you may see some longer chapters in the future. That's probably the main reason why I made Sesshomaru see Kagome, although there was really nothing romantic about their meeting. Maybe I should've started the romance after Kagome talked to Inuyasha. Hmm.**

**Anyway, yeah, I tried making this shorter, but if I were to cut ANYTHING out of this chapter, I think you guys would've been confused about some stuff. So I left it all. It may seem like a lot, but trust me-you'll need it for later chapters. You should be lucky that I'm updating today instead of Friday! Geez. **

**Would Sesshomaru say something about trust? Probably not, probably not. But I'm making him say it-it's part of his change! Gosh. Uh, the next chapter will be about two weeks after this, so just warning you. The battle-OH MY GOD THE BATTLE-that's coming soon, too. I really have to plan accordingly, I think. And you may wonder how I'm going to incorporate love/romance in this-just you wait!**

**With that, I think I'll stop. I don't need more words added to this chapter. Thank you for the reviews! I'm going to reply to reviews in the next chapter, so if you have anything to say or ask, please do so! I'd love to hear what you readers have to say! Thanks for reading, too!**

**Until next time!**

**TLS**

_Next update? Uh, how about next Friday again?_**  
**


	21. Chapter 21 : Cautiously Dreaming

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**NOTE: Okay, that italicized stuff down there? Yeah, that's both a flashback and a dream. WARNED!  
**

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin called out to him. He did not turn around or want to look at another human for a while—after his last encounter with one. "Lord Sesshomaru, it's time for bed!" He acknowledged the little girl next to him by nodding and noticed her lying next to the fire. Time had passed since he last felt the girl next to him (two weeks and some odd days, to be exact) and he already missed her.

This made his beast furious: he was not supposed to be like this with humans! A ferocious lord of the west was not to take a sudden change of emotions towards humans! He was supposed to kill anything that spoke to him without proper titles or demeaned him by not addressing him properly. He would've struck her down if it were any other time. But he only saw a normal girl, human or not, standing between any of his problems.

He blamed it on his dreams. A week ago, it was the first time he had dreamt in a long time. Normally, he stays for a few weeks before sleeping, but this time it was different. It had only been three days since he last rested. And this time, his dream was not about his past nor was it about his mother: it was about his heart.

0o0

_Sesshomaru watched as his two wards sat around the fire talking amongst themselves. He did not care for the conversation, as he had other important items to worry about, but it had something to do with going back to see the girl, Kagome. Sesshomaru did not want to hear her name—saying it was enough trouble and pain. But what if the girl had been with him since the caves?  
Surely it would be treacherous for the girl. She was always afraid of demons attacking them, and when they did, she was always the one to be blamed. Was it always her fault? The demons could've been after his head, as well, for being a Lord of one of the lands would bring more than what the jewel could offer. Power, wealth, fame: it was a demon's dream._

_ She would also be disappointed in not seeing the ones she had been around for quite some time, especially with that little fox demon near her. Sesshomaru could see the look on the little demon's face now, being told that it could not go back because of the half-demon near the others. He blinked twice and felt his eyes squint. Sesshomaru had every right to be angry at Inuyasha, but somehow the anger grew._

_Sesshomaru glanced down at his wards again and still noticed them talking. Leaning back, he looked up towards the full moon and saw nothing but beauty and love stricken on the white surface. It wasn't long until his eyes closed and he saw nothing but the moon in his dreams and the women in his life. First, it was his mother._

_She had grown since he last saw her. She aged quite well, her hair was a little bit longer than what he remembered, and she was wearing a different outfit than any of the one's he had seen before. She was standing maybe six feet away from him, so if she wanted, she could reach out to him and touch his face. She also had a smile on her face. "Are you keeping her safe?" His cold side came out, but he wanted to express himself to her._

_"I protect no woman," he replied. His mother frowned._

_"Are you still regretting not saving me from your father?" He had not thought about that. Was he still in guilt that he could not save his own mother from the one he could not stand in the first place? The one that birthed him? He looked to his mother and she shrugged. "You shouldn't live in the past, Sesshomaru. You should move forward," she said. Her smile came back. He stood there with a frown on his face._

_"Then you would be forgotten," she shook her head. _

_"No, no," she replied, "I would not." Sesshomaru was slightly confused by her reply. How would she not be forgotten if he had to get rid of his guilt and pain? "I would be set free, remember?" He slightly widened his eyes and saw her still smiling. Was she serious? He felt something wrap around his hand and noticed his grip so very tight on her. "To move on, just let me go," she whispered. How? Was it always this simple? And so he did._

_He was scared at first—actually terrified that if he did let her go, she'd somehow get hurt. Instead, a bright light surrounded her body, almost as though she was being taken to the moon, and she still had that smile on her face. She looked to him with her golden eyes: "Thank you," she whispered. He reached out to her; it was too soon! He could not let go! What was going to happen if he did? But by the time he reached out, she was gone, and someone else was holding his hand._

_This hand, he hated this touch. He quickly turned to the woman on the side of him and saw black hair flowing with the darkness. She was smiling to him, too. "You hold this hand as though you care," he said to her, "release me." Why was he afraid of her touching him? And why was he telling her to release him? Was he being controlled by her? Whatever the case, he still did not care for the woman._

_"I hold your hand," she started. The sound of her voice was excruciating! It was the only sound he could not stand! "because you need to stop." Sesshomaru growled to her and she flinched in terror. She was still afraid of him, only because of the night he attacked her. _

_"You do not tell me how to live," he replied, "for you are below me." She smiled—smiled!—to him. _

_"A lord," she started again, "cannot rule if hate rules his heart." She placed a hand on his chest and he immensely growled. No one had ever touched him there before except for his own mother. For the woman to touch him now, it was grounds for death. "You must learn to forget how to hate, Sesshomaru." She looked into his eyes. "You must learn how to move on." He felt his fingers itching for her blood, but when he was about to attack, she disappeared._

_He looked around for the woman but found nothing of her scent nearby. No matter—the woman was dead anyway. Perhaps his mother would take care of her in the afterlife. "However," another voice made him lose his train of thought. He spun his head towards the direction of the voice and he growled again. "It is better for a Lord to fight with hate than with love. After all, hate is such a powerful thing," she said to him._

_"Kagura," he said. She looked over at him and smiled. Why were they always smiling? Did they not fear him any longer? In an instant, that would all change. He grabbed her neck and pierced through the skin. He could feel his beast wanting to unleash itself, wanting to let go of its frustration towards the woman—if it weren't for her, he would not be in this troubling situation with his own emotions. Kagura smiled._

_"Although I admire your persistence to kill me, this is merely a dream," she commented. Sesshomaru stayed in silence. He knew this was a dream—both his mother and that human woman was dead. "And in a dream, you can only reflect on your pains. Am I a pain to you?" He started to growl. The nerve of this woman demeaning him! He was no ordinary demon! He should be feared!_

_"You will quiet your voice if you mean well," she started to laugh._

_"You cannot harm me in a dream, Sesshomaru! Try and harm me in reality, and then I will fear you. Being around humans," his ears twitched at the sound of that word. His beast did not tend to like the matter around humans as much as he did. "has really softened your kills, has it not?" His eyes were red at this comment and he started to snarl. His beast really wanted to shred her apart, to tear every limb off of her body and watch the blood drip from her head. _

_Instead, Sesshomaru tightened his grip on her neck—it was a dream, for her breathing was not pained—and he slammed her into the ground. When her body made contact with the darkness, she disappeared, and his hand was glowing green. Had he really been trying to poison her? A pair of hands reached out and touched his green hand and his head snapped towards her. This one, she was holding a bouquet of flowers."Look Lord Sesshomaru! Cherry blossoms!" Was his face the same? Did he seem to be a murderer towards the little girl?_

_The scent of the flowers calmed his beast, as if he enjoyed the scents of different flowers. His hand stopped glowing green, his eyes went back to normal, and his beast slowly went away. He looked at the girl next to him and noticed the smile she had on her face. Had she always smiled when in his presence? Had he only noticed it now? "Lord Sesshomaru, what's your favorite flower?" He sat down on the ground next to the girl picking the flowers and saw how the smile never faltered. _

_He looked down to the flowers. "Oleander," he said to her. Why that flower? it was the deadliest flower in the world, and yet he chose that to say to a little girl? Right, he had not changed around humans; he was the same assassin and knew how to kill with merely a flower. The little girl looked at him and still smiled._

_"But that's a dangerous flower, Lord Sesshomaru! Isn't there a beautiful flower you'd rather have?" He glanced at the little girl and noticed her still plucking the flowers. What was the right answer to this question? The little girl held up another flower and held it to him. He believed it was a daisy, as the humans called it. "My favorite is the Daisy. No one ever torments a Daisy! It's very pure and very innocent, as if it has nothing to hide." _

_Was she trying to tell him something? He did not mind the companion near, but he saw no reason for her to be speaking about flowers. There were more important things to handle, like the protection of her life in his hands. He saw her take the flower and smell the scent. Although it was divine, it was not the loveliest flower he had encountered. He tried to remember the name of it, but when trying, he saw his ward disappearing. Was the dream over? _

_He rose from the ground and looked around. There was no one else in this dream. He was finally alone—was this a good thing? He had not realized how much company had been around him his whole life! Had he made a mistake of becoming a cold assassin? No, he had no regrets of killings or pushing people away in his life, especially those that got in his way for so many years. They were worthless—they were below him._

_Were they really? In his eyes, everyone was below him. What about the other Lords? They most likely believed that they were a God, knowing that everyone else (including other Lords) was worthless. But he was the Lord of the Western Lands, the most ferocious lands in all of Japan! Everyone feared his land, and everyone feared his hands. He looked down at his nails and noticed a white flower sitting inside of his palm. _

_He turned around. He saw no one—where was she? She had to be here, his little ward! Was she not safe in his dreams, either? "My favorite is Anemone," he knew this voice. It was not as familiar as the other voices, but he had just started to take a liking to this voice. He did not turn his head. "Although I don't want to forget, I'd rather move on," she stated. He looked down at the white flower in his hand._

_Why was a flower so important? "Besides, life is just as precious as a flower. Right, Sesshomaru?" He turned his head at his name—why? He did not mean to look at the woman, but he did anyway. What was the point of looking at her when he did not want to in the first place? She noticed the flower in his hand. "Ah, you have Gardenia! Why is that your favorite?" He grunted._

_"I have no favorite flower," he remarked. He did not need a flower, nor did the flower need him. He did not waste time thinking about his favorite flowers or wondering why a flower was so precious to humans. He crushed the little flower in his hand and took in the scent. This was the flower: so its name was Gardenia._

_The woman in front of him frowned. It was the first frown he had seen from these women. Why was she frowning? Had he done something wrong? "No matter how much you crush the life out of something, it doesn't disappear." He opened his hand and noticed how the pedals were shriveling to his touch. But the flower still remained intact. He looked back to the woman. "The same goes with life, Sesshomaru. As many as you killed or helped, the blood never fades," she whispered._

_He looked back to his hand and saw it just covered in blood. The flower was now being stained with the red substance and he tried to savor the color of Gardenia. It, however, was stained with his sins. Was this a sign about his life as a whole? He looked back at the woman and noticed the Gardenia in her hands now—was he holding her flower? "So," she started, "what's your favorite flower?" He wanted to save this flower! He needed to keep its color fresh and white! It was too innocent to stain._

_His beast flared and he ran to the woman. She did not flinch nor did she smile. He caught the fear in her eyes, though, and noticed how she held back something. She saw something, though, for she gave him the Gardenia. "Is the Lord of the Western Lands finally beginning to love?" He howled at this word. He cared not about love or hate, emotions or not. But he accepted the flower and felt his world calm again. Was it really the flower's doing? He looked back in her eyes._

_"You," he whispered. She shrugged._

_"I am no flower. How is it that a human is precious to a demon now?" Was that what he meant? Did he really say that a human was just as precious as a flower? He could not speak—something was covering his mouth and his beast was whining. He wished to hold this feeling in his hands, but it started to fade away with him closing his eyes. No, he wished for this feeling again. The wind picked up around him, the darkness fading away. All he saw now was the light in the sky and the clouds overhead. _

_"Lord Sesshomaru! Look!" He was in his tree, still over his wards. So it had been a dream. He looked down at the girl and saw her pointing at the tree. Was there something threatening them? He jumped from the branch and looked in her direction. For a split second, his eyes widened, and for a split second, his emotions were real. It was his flower: it was his Gardenia. His hand twitched—it would be a long while before he slept again._

0o0

Was it because of Inuyasha's violence against her? Was it because it, his beast, felt protective at that moment? _No, _he thought, _this one does not protect. _But why was he so protective in his dream? Why with only women does he care about life? And for that matter, why with the other woman, the one he never spoke to before the attacks against her? He wished not to contemplate about it any further—he wished to admire the burning intensity ahead of him.

Suddenly, a pulse. It radiated through the air, one that rode the breeze from the East into his lands. It was close to the village, but it would not be detected by the half-demon and the girl. He did not want to see the girl in the first place—what would make him want to see her anyhow? He looked through the area and felt this power closing in. He rose from the camp and started to walk towards the pulse—his green ward woke from the sounds he made. "L-Lord Sesshomaru! Where are you going?" He yelled to him.

Sesshomaru did not care about him. He dashed through the forest once the imp was done talking and ran towards the shard. He knew his wards would be safe; there were no dangerous demons nearby that could be detected. If he heard his wards scream, though, he would run back and make sure they were safe. But not before he gathered this shard. He skipped from tree to tree, though, and continued on his journey.

Was it the shard that was luring him? Or was it the girl? He could not be bested by a mere shard. It was not tainted nor was it of any use to him. If he wanted something, he could have it whenever and however he wanted. So was it the girl? He did no favors for anyone before, so she should be no different. And so he believed just that: it was for no one.

He focused on his kill and saw the person holding the shard in the middle of the field. It appeared to be a little girl—he knew this person. She was a reincarnation of Naraku, the girl that held the mirror. He could not place her name, nor did he really feel as if it were important. She turned his head toward the forest he came and stared with her voided eyes. No wind was around.

He jumped from the tree and landed near the girl. She did not try to attack or really do anything. She just stood there, staring at him. The mirror was at her side (he thought it was odd that she held it to her side, not at her chest) and the shard was in her other hand. She began to talk: "Do you seek the shard?" He sought nothing. He noticed her hand being held out and the glowing shard in her hand. Was she giving it to him so easily? Or was this a trap? Her eyes said nothing—Kanna was her name: the girl within the void.

He took no chance with the girl; he unsheathed his sword and swung. She did not move and she began to split open. Did she want to die? And why did he think she was a threat? He could've killed her with his bare hands, if he wanted to. But he did it with a sword. "Then it is yours. Be cautious," she whispered before she fell to the ground. The void was disappearing and her eyes turned a pure white. _Cautious, _he looked around the forest and felt nothing around. So it was not a trap.

She was merely giving the shard to him. He did not care—it made his job easier. He saw the shard near her hand and bent down to grab it. It glowed in his hand, almost burning the nails on his fingers. Was it rejecting him? He straightened his body and stared at the pink item. There was a rustle in the bushes and he did not move. He knew who they were. "Lord Sesshomaru! There you are!" Jaken yelled to him.

Rin was right behind him, rubbing her eyes. They ran over to him and saw the corpse on the ground. "Excellent work, Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken noted. Was it? He had killed others like this—this girl was merely in the way of what he sought. Rin looked up at him and saw the bright pink glow coming from his hands. She smiled.

"Oh! Lord Sesshomaru, that's pretty!" The color was beautiful, yes, but it came with a deadly price. He closed his palm and secured the pink color from any demons around. But what of the girl? Did he want to draw her out into the field to try and take what was his now? He thought of the woman and noticed Rin still smiling. Yes, was this his plan all along, to finally lure the woman into his life with merely a shard? He placed it inside his belt and began to walk past his wards.

Jaken was the first to squawk: "Lord Sesshomaru! Wait up!" Rin was right behind him and he paid no attention to the two of them. His mind was not clear and his thoughts were scrambled, but he knew what his beast wanted. He wanted to see the woman again. But it wouldn't be for a while—he wanted to wait. He needed to come up with something, something that would only lure the girl to him; he needed to see her.

He'd have her back; it was the only thing he knew.

0o0

High in the trees, a woman stood on a tree branch and another sat behind her. "So, he took the bait," the one standing commented. She turned to the companion and the one that sat began to contemplate. "Let's make the line," she finished her thought.

The one that sat smiled. "Then the life of her will diminish soon enough. Yes," she closed her eyes, "as much as it pains me to say this, let us seek out this line. We'll have what we've wanted," and they both disappeared into the night.

Nothing happened.

**Sorry. I didn't think that I would have another all-Sesshomaru chapter, ha-ha. I actually wanted his part to be about 2000 words, but it's about 4000. I'll do an all-Kagome one next. **

**OKAY. I want to make something clear before someone asks me about it:**

**"He'd have her back." I believe I did this two other times. This is intended and I meant to have this repeated over and over again. The first two (if it were two times) were protective. This one is strictly romance. Get it? The first times were about her actual back, like in battle. "I'll have your back!" This one's like, "I'll have you back!" Uh, maybe I should just leave the mystery of what I mean alone, ha-ha.  
**

**Not much to talk about for this chapter. The next two chapters-watch out! There's going to be a part of a chapter where it'll make absolutely no sense. Don't worry, it's a surprise. I wonder if someone can guess! Go ahead, it won't kill you! (No, it's not a kiss or anything about romance. Don't guess that, thanks)**

**I worked so hard on that dream. I don't know why, but I love the idea that flowers equal Sesshomaru and his feelings. He never expresses himself, but if it's a flower, perhaps he could! Oh, the meanings:**

**Gardenia: new love  
Anemone: disappearing love  
Daisy: Protective, loyal**

**Time for reviews, shall we?  
**

**Chapter 15 Reviews**

soulspirit18**: Haha, well, I love having me some good ol' fashioned cliffhangers. I love writing them, too, but reading them? Terrible! Ha-ha. Thank you for the review!  
**presleybue**: 8D Thanks! I loved the chapter, too. Probably one of my favorites to write for the story (my other favorite is coming up soon!). Thank you for the review and love!  
**Jill L**: I'm sure, by now, you've read the all Sess chapter, so I won't delve into that one. Also, thanks for reading Odds and Ends! Although, I haven't updated that in a long time..I should probably start that up again soon! Ha-ha. Thank you for the review!  
**TrappedBetween**: Ha-ha, thank you, thank you. I was looking forward to the whole reaction while writing, too. Thanks for the review!  
**One Without Soul**: I don't know, why DO you get the feeling that she'll meet Inuyasha? (That already came in a later chapter-19 was it? I forget, ha-ha) Thank you for the review and love!  
**Joe the Kender**: I feel even more special that you said you "very rarely review"! I think I deserve a trophy then, ha-ha. Oh, I don't mind popularity (although it would be nice once in a while to have my stories picked up by the general public) or having more reviews under my belt. As long as I make my regular readers happy, that's all that matters to me 8) Besides, if I didn't write well, I wouldn't be happy in the first place! I just hate fan-fics that always go, "And she walked up to him and said: 'I love you.' And he kissed her. THE END" Or those stories that have her turn into a demon at the end? No, I hate those ones too. I want to have my readers feel like they're watching the show or reading the manga even! Ah, I'm rambling. Thank you for the love and the review! And thanks for the compliment that it's one of your favorites now! I feel so loved!  
**Sesshomaru lover01992**: 8D Thank you! I noticed you reviewed almost every chapter. I won't reply to those, but thanks for the reviews!  
**

**Chapter 16 Reviews**

soulspirit18**: I hope you were excited when you found out what Sess's deal was 8D I was totally excited to have that chapter over with, because it's one of my favorites besides a few others. Thanks for the review, as always!  
**One Without Soul**: Woo! 8D Although, you were disappointed in the chapter! Aw! I have no idea what chapter 16 is again, let me check..Oh! It was before the Sess chapter! Oh, there was a reason why there wasn't a lot of details, only because I didn't want to spoil anything. Like, literally, if I had written a paragraph that I originally wanted, it would've spoiled almost three chapters. But, I understand your disappointment! I'll try harder next time 8) Thank you for the review!  
**Selene Ruby Rose Snape**: 8D Oh I will! Thank you!  
**Keisha03**: Ha-ha, yeah, you're another reader that's said that to me! But I don't mind! I enjoy all kinds of love! Oh, trust me, writing is the only thing that keeps me sane after a long day at work. I hate customers sometimes. And, trust me, do you know how hard it is not to have them just go ahead and say "I LOVE YOU LET'S MATE" deal? It's tough. At times, I just go, "Why do I write like this and not like other people? WHY CAN'T THEY JUST LOVE EACH OTHER ALREADY?" Ha-ha. I think I'm both a reader and a writer. Thank you for the review and love, and good luck with your story! I hope you do write so I can read it one day!  
**darlingangel0565**: 8D Why thank you!  
**Sesshomaru lover01992**: That's good! I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for the review!  
**

**Chapter 17 Reviews**

Megi Keishii**: Oh, you are on the right track! You are just almost there, but not quite!  
**soulspirit18**: I know, I'm glad I did too. Sometimes, I get too busy with things that I forget to write. And I love this chapter! I worked so hard to develop Sesshomaru, only because his character never really developed in the series. He needs some love, you know? And now I get to work on Kagome? Oh boy! Ha-ha. Thank you for the review and love!  
**Hell Flower Hime**: Woo! 8D Perhaps its feelings or attraction..? Ha-ha, I'm terrible. Thanks for the review!  
**Sesshomaru lover01992**: 8D Thank you! I'm glad you loved it!**

**Chapter 18 Reviews**

soulspirit18**: 8D I know, I was horrible for this chapter for updating. Too many things going on, you know? Anyway, thank you for complimenting on my writing! I sure hope I'm better than some people on this site, that's for sure. Thank you for the review and love!  
**Jill L**: Wait, birds like french fries? Oh my goodness, I must feed my birds this! Ha-ha. I can't wait to see what I have in store for myself, actually. I have to plan out these next chapters perfectly, or else I'll have to go back and edit chapters, which sucks. But I'll make sure you like it, that's for true! I think I started the whole romance bit of it, but it may just be a sick obsession Sesshomaru has. I think what I'll do is after the battle...well, I can't say. It'd ruin the surprise! Ha-ha. And I take no offense to you going back a few chapters and reading! Not at all! By all means, read the story again, ha-ha. Thank you for the review and love! (By the way, I did eat my favorite treat when I was down-helped a lot! Thanks!)  
**Sesshomaru lover01992**: 8D Thank you! I know, I make people surprised on what happens around this story, ha-ha.**

**Chapter 19 Reviews**

soulspirit18**: 8D Thanks! (Have you reviewed every chapter of this story? I'll have to look back at previous chapters!) I can't wait for the next chapter, either, ha-ha.  
**presleybue**: 8D Thanks! I like this chapter, although not one of my favorites to write.  
**Sesshomaru lover01992**: 8D Why thank you! It's good to know that I'm doing awesome at writing this story! I usually have my doubts. Thanks for the review and love!**

**Chapter 20 Reviews**

Ms Sarcastic**: First off, love your name. I'm sarcastic, too, ha-ha. And when I opened my e-mail to your review, I was so terrified because it's probably one of the longest reviews I've ever gotten here! That, and I was afraid that someone really hated me and started a hate mail. How dare they, right? But don't be afraid! You're actually the first reviewer to really ask questions! And I'm here to answer them! 8D  
**_First question_**: Ah, I can't give that away. I can say that she's showing signs, but it's not as dramatic as Sesshomaru's. Take into account that Sesshomaru never really loved anyone but his mother, and in a previous chapter (somewhere) it was mentioned that she reminds him of his mother. So, really, it's like attraction or obsession right now. As for Kagome feeling this way, she still has to get over Inuyasha. That'll be coming up in a later chapter, by the way. There'll be an encounter with the two of them-you'll know right away this encounter-and she'll start showing signs more. But that's not for a while, and I can't give anymore information away.  
**_Second question_**: Remember when she said, "I don't want to become a cold-blooded assassin like yourself, Sesshomaru" (well she thought this)? In some chapter (I have no idea which one) there'll be a few paragraphs on this. Sesshomaru, I think, likes to give advice that goes with his principles and morals and no one elses. He probably thinks that everyone should be an assassin, including humans (although he both likes and hates them at the same time). Trust me, I won't turn Kagome into another Sesshomaru. She'll be the same Kagome we know and love (maybe).  
**_Third question_**: Again, tweaking his advice is probably what I'll do in order to keep Kagome in the same character. Given that she doesn't want to kill anyone ("She wanted no deaths on her hands") unless they're after her, what I'll probably do is use her emotions carefully. Yes, I agree: she's an emotional character and using her anger might be an advantage. I have no idea how I'll write this out, but give it time, ha-ha.  
**_Fourth question_**: Every time Kikyo came and talked to Kagome, it was like she was jealous. My motivation for this Kikyo is mainly having her jealous or envious of Kagome, mainly because she's more successful than Kikyo on so many levels, including the jewel. I think I've strayed away from Kikyo using Inuyasha, only because Inuyasha knows that he doesn't want to hurt Kagome anymore because he doesn't want to lose the one friend he really has and wants. Then again, this may come into play later in chapters, I don't know. In this chapter, especially, I didn't go into it much because I didn't want to have a 6000 chapter on my hands, but if I did, it would be of mind-tricks on Kagome. This is because Kikyo wants to see Kagome fail for once and not become better than her (Kikyo). I have no idea if that's deep enough, ha-ha.  
Well, now that the questions are out of the way, thank you so much for the compliment! I try my best to not go OOC (I hate stories like that) and to stay true to the characters as well as making everything almost perfect. Thank you for the review, compliments, love, and more! 8D  
**Sesshomaru lover01992**: 8D Thank you! I love this chapter, only because of the encounter Sesshomaru and Kagome finally have, ha-ha. Thanks for the reviews and love!  
**doglover61: **Hm, I haven't decided on that. I kind of try to stay away from stories like that in the first place, but it's a possibility! (I actually have no idea what I want to do when the jewel is complete, ha-ha. I'm a terrible author!) Thank you for liking the chapter, by the way! This was my favorite chapter BY FAR for the whole story. That, and Sesshomaru entering the story for the first time. Thanks for the love (and compliment that I'm an awesome writer! I try my best!) and the review!**

**I've been trying to find different SessKag stories to look at and read, but uh..there's not really any good ones. The one I'm reading right now is called "Wisteria", which is the only one I read. It's very good, so if you want another story to read, go read that! And by the way, did you see that one story on here with over 4000 reviews! HOLY HELL. I tried reading that story, too, but it got really weird by the tenth chapter. I can't remember the name of it, but just look for the SessKag story that has over 4000 reviews. I'd hate to have that many reviews. 90 is enough, thank you!**

**Just..if you go read that "Wisteria", come back to this story too! I don't want to lose readers 8P**

**Thank you for reviewing! If you have anything to ask or comment on, review away! I'm not mean! Thank you for reading, too! My lovely readers are very lovely indeed.**

**Until next time!**

**TLS**

_Next update? I have no idea. I'm sick right now so...next Friday it is! 8D_**  
**


	22. Chapter 22 : Pulsating Realization

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**NOTE: There's a flashback in this. And some flashback quotes. WARNED AGAIN!**

**SIDE NOTE: I know I'm late. Shush, I tried my best with this, okay? Do you know how HARD it was to write an all-Kagome chapter? HARD.**

**SIDE-SIDE NOTE: Kind of long? I don't know, I tried to make it long for you guys, because I didn't update on Friday. Oh well.  
**

It was the same thing every day: train, sleep, help around the village, and repeat. She was pushed to trivial things, like gathering herbs and protecting the children when a demon would attack the village. Most of the work was Kikyo (healing injuries, being on the offensive) and Inuyasha (killing the demons). Even Miroku and Sango really had no part in the group unless Inuyasha was having troubles, and even then, Kikyo would be there to help.

One of the first nights back was horrible. There were demons surrounding the village, and Kagome was pushed back to the center of it all, where children and women resided. It was a clouded night, one that hid the stars away from the light and the moon was trying to peek out to look down on the land. She remembered the ominous presence in the air as villagers stopped everything to look around; Inuyasha was the first to warn those to stay inside.

_"How many are there?" Kagome asked. Kikyo glanced over at her and Inuyasha growled. _

_"Dozens," was all he said. Sango and Miroku came from their hut and prepared themselves for battle. Kagome felt Shippo next to her and she looked down at him. He was worried about her, especially when it had been so soon since the cave. Inuyasha looked back at Kagome, but they did not make eye contact. He wanted to say something, but Kikyo opened her mouth first._

_"You must stay back," Kagome blinked and quickly rose her head to see Kikyo staring at her. She was furious.  
"Why! I can fight!" Kikyo stared in silence as her friends ran to her side. Sango was the first to act in her defense and Miroku backed her up. She turned to them and saw their expressions—they were equally angry. "I'm not useless!" _

_"You are a collector," Kagome winced at her voice. Was she always cruel? "You collect shards and herbs. You know nothing about your powers, therefore you are dangerous and useless. We don't need to worry about another life on the battlefield," Kikyo sharply replied. Inuyasha grunted and turned to the group._

_Kagome noticed the red rimming around his eyes. His Tetsuseiga was already out pointing towards the enemy and his fangs were growing. "Will you all shut up and worry about the demons coming!" He met her eyes and his ears drooped. "I'm sorry, Kagome, but you have to stay back. I can't have you die on me," He turned back to the demons roaming the land and prepared himself. Kagome could feel the ground shake a little bit and could hear the growls of some of the demons echo in the night. Then, everyone ran off, and she was left alone._

_'The only reason you don't want me to die,' she began to think. She shook it away as the pain started to come back and she turned to Shippo. "Kagome, I'll protect you!" She smiled down at the little child and knelt down beside him. She rubbed his head; he was too cute. She looked around and noticed other children coming around. She held out her arms and some of the children obliged; she'd hold onto their lives and help them if it meant salvation. _

_"Lady Kagome," she looked up and saw a familiar face. Kaede knelt down on the ground near her and she held back everything again. "Are ye alright?" Kagome slowly nodded and continued to look down at Shippo. He saw her pain, he saw her tears. And his heart was pained to see her like that. "Why are ye not fighting?" She shook her head; she didn't want to say, but it was okay._

_"I'm useless, like they said," Kagome felt a tear fall to the ground and she quickly wiped her eyes. She didn't want to be seen as a weak priestess. The children looked at her for answers, and she smiled. "Now is not the time to worry about that, though! Come on," she stood up from the ground and began to walk away from the spot, "let's go find a safe place," and the children followed. Kaede could only sigh and look back to the battle. _

_Inuyasha would unleash hell on those that tried to attack Kagome—one did, only because she was protecting a child and wasn't paying any attention. It left a scratch on the back of her neck. The demon was defeated moments after by Miroku's purification and Sango's boomerang. It was not a long battle; almost all of the demons were beat by an hour's end. Kagome congratulated them all and prepared her first aid kits to help anyone that had any injuries. Inuyasha just walked past her and Kikyo walked into the other direction, some demons in her hands. _

_Kagome thought nothing of it and began to work. _

Kagome did not mind her work; it gave her more time to reconnect with villagers she had acquainted with before abruptly leaving. Some of the villagers didn't even remember her leaving! On her first day, she went to one of her few acquaintances in the village one day and saw that the woman had not changed at all. She may have aged a little bit, what with new wrinkles on her face and a tired look on her face, but she seemed to be okay. "Ah! Lady Kagome!" Kagome watched as the woman stood up and wrapped her arms around Kagome's petite body. She almost dropped the herbs she had in her basket if it weren't for her quick thinking!

"A-Ah, did you miss me that much?" The woman pulled away and looked a little confused at the whole statement.

"Miss you?" Kagome felt a little crushed at her honesty, and thought that the woman had clearly hated her! She nervously laughed and started to rub her head.

"Y-Yes! Miss me! I have been away for almost a few months now," _for reasons you don't need to know, _Kagome thought. The woman looked shocked—almost like she had been hit in the face with the most bewildered statement in her life.

"You were gone! I thought you had forgotten about me!" Kagome almost fell flat on her face with laughter. It was like things had gone back to the way things were before she had left, before when her heart had been broken, before her body had gathered enough scars to tell her grandchildren about it all. _Grandchildren? _Kagome shook her head and almost laughed to herself. And the day went by like nothing ever happened.

Now that the last shard was nowhere to be seen, she had more time on her hands, more time to concentrate on bettering herself. In one month's time, she had seen huge progress with her power. She was aiming almost perfectly at her targets and she was much faster at equipping her bow with an arrow than before. Kikyo, though, still had a bitter attitude toward her training and her power. _"If the last shard does show, how will you purify the jewel? With that low level of power?" _Somehow, Kikyo was right to say something like that, but it was the attitude she brought. Was she jealous?

No, Kikyo couldn't have been jealous. She had everything Kagome would've wanted in the past: she had the power, spirit, will, and she even had Inuyasha. _Inuyasha, _Kagome would sometimes reflect on her relationship with Inuyasha. Was she finally coming to the end of the heartache? Maybe she was, but she didn't want to lose a friend, especially one she had been with for nearly three years. But, it was different now. It was so…tense ever since she came back to the village. Had it always been like this? Or was it because of Kikyo?

Kagome didn't want to think about Kikyo anyway. It was just another diversion to her own goal set in her mind. She wanted to better herself—hell, she wanted to _become_ better than her. Perhaps that was it: Kikyo felt threatened by Kagome's power and realized that she was a little weaker than Kagome. _If that's the case_, Kagome thought, _then maybe I should train for another month. I'd be so much better than her! _So she continued to train and continued to do her work around the village as much as possible—although, sometimes it was a little much. Demons would come after her for the jewel, attack the village, and it would repeat.

She felt terrible that it was her fault that everything was being destroyed day in and day out. Without her around, without the jewel to direct the demons to the village, life would be okay for the villagers. They would not have to worry about whether the cloud in the night sky is a demon or if it's really a cloud; it wouldn't be a living nightmare in the day if the jewel weren't around, either.

Did the villagers even want her there? It was much better when she wasn't around, after all. They weren't rebuilding their village every day and night, they weren't terrified to sleep when night fell, and they certainly weren't losing their lives every day. Sooner or later, it would come down to whether or not Kagome stays because of the jewel around her neck. If anything, the humans would kill her and take the jewel so that they could sacrifice it away to demons. Kagome sighed; if that were to happen, then her whole journey would be pointless.

She had seen the looks they had given her at times. There would be glares around the village, mumbling to each other about her and the exhaustion of fighting overwhelming their pride. She had even been confronted by a few men already, stating that she was a curse and she should be rid of by casting the first stone: letting her fall through the well one last time. It hurt; it was extremely hard to show her face around the village for a few days, but it was fine over time. Eventually, it was tiresome to protect everyone. Sooner or later, they'd find a way to get rid of the exhaustion, and they'd find a way to succeed.

It didn't matter the size of the demon or the strength the demon seemed to have. If it were a tiny thing that even Miroku could kill with his staff (Shippo with his fox fire, too) the villagers would point the blame to Kagome. Some of the villagers that had been friends with her before started to speak heavily against her. "It is the jewel's fault! It has caused nothing but trouble since she had arrived back!" Shippo would be on her side, though, as well as Sango and Miroku.

"Hey! It's her job to protect the jewel! There could be mass destruction everywhere if it weren't for her!" Shippo would always say back. Sometimes, the villagers had a few comebacks to that, like how a demon would not attack them as often as every day, nor would they have any use to come back and kill over and over again. But Shippo stuck to his ground to keep Kagome in Kaede's village—and life would continue.

But Kagome couldn't get it out of her mind, the feeling that their lives were in her hands and it was all her fault. _"How does it feel to be a villain?" _Kikyo's words resonated in her mind. Wasn't she supposedly the hero? She was protecting hundreds, thousands of lives by having this jewel near—wasn't that enough? But, was she even a hero?

Could a hero be a villain?

0o0

One day, while tending to some of the villagers, she had entered her hut to seek out bandages and first aid kits when she spotted something in the corner. It was just a passing thought while searching for what she wanted, but it bothered her. She completely forgot about the sword that Sesshomaru had left her, the Tenseiga. Of course, she had to hurry to heal those in need, but was there any use to the sword with her? It certainly would not be any use by bringing someone back from the dead, but she thought that it could be used as an actual weapon.

It was the opposite for the Tetsuseiga. That sword was rusted, and it could only be used by Inuyasha—although, Sesshomaru had used it once before, if memory served her correctly. That, and Inuyasha would never allow her to touch his sword. It was _his_, and he was very possessive of his things, especially when she made him ramen one time. Never again would she grab at his food—she had the scars to prove it!

The same night, she tried. She expected the sword to be a lot heavier, but it was surprisingly light. It did not glow its blue aura that Sesshomaru had while using the Tenseiga's power nor was it rusted in any way. It was sharp down to the point and it shined with even the light from the moon. Perhaps it truly was the moon's sword after all. _There's a rumor about his mother…maybe that's it. _She thought nothing of it and began to tie.

Kagome tied the sheath to her Obi. She hadn't the slightest idea why, but it felt comfortable to have a sword by her side and a bow on her back. Then again, she had never had the feeling of being this protected by two weapons—at her own side. Perhaps she had too much going on with her weapons, what with the quiver of arrows, her ebony white bow, and now the Tenseiga on her body. Was she being a little paranoid now being the protector of the jewel?

So she tried numerous things. First, she shot an arrow at a nearby tree and the second after that, she quickly took the sword out from the sheath. It was a failure, due to the sheath falling from her kimono and the sword nearly cutting her torso. Not to mention the trouble she had when trying to bring the bow on her shoulder to get the sword. So she tried other things. They were most failures too, as they cut some of the fabric of her kimono and she had dropped her weapons numerous times.

She'd never master how to dual-wield, this much was true. _Maybe I could learn how to dual-wield swords, but a bow and a sword? Unlikely! _Kagome smiled to herself and continued to train with her bow. Perhaps the sword would be for other uses, like threatening demons that intimidated her. Then again, the demon would not care and would probably kill her for the jewel—a grand thought to have while training. _With my luck, a demon will come out to kill me right now! _She shot an arrow into the tree and heard rustling in the bushes.

She was right! Her nerves started to kick in as she started to think of some kind of strategy. It wasn't working. So she made it seem like she did not hear the thing behind her and she placed the bow around her shoulder. She looked to the tree; perhaps she could look like she was proud of her shot (although she missed because of the noise). Or maybe just contemplate on how to hit the next spot dead-on. Either way, Kagome reluctantly placed her palm on the hilt of the sword and waited for the right time.

Her eyes diverted to the ground. The moon was in a good position; she would be able to see the person's shadow before they would actually get the chance to touch her! So she waited and waited. As the shadow moved closer and closer to her, she could make out some of the features. This demon was tall, well built, and had some kind of odd clothing on. Whatever the case, she had to wait before the shadow became suspicious. And when it started to reach out to her, she unsheathed the sword.

Surprisingly, it perfectly came from the sheath and she pointed the sword at the demon's neck—she didn't look at the demon, in fear that if she made eye contact, it would be horrible to see it die. How was it that she could have almost dead-on aim when she wasn't looking, but when it came time to aim and shoot, it would practically miss? _"Aim with fury,"_ Kagome frowned. _I cannot, _she thought, _because I'm no killer. _Kagome thought again:

_Am I a collector? Or a protector? _She looked up at the demon at this time and her eyes widened. "K-Kagome! What the hell are you doing!" The demon's hands were up in the air, his eyes were worried that she was actually going to kill him—with that sword, no less—and he started to become nervous. She lowered the sword in surprise and continued to stare at him. It was only a matter of time before she actually said something to him:

"I-Inuyasha!"

0o0

She didn't know how they came to be on top of a cliff, but there they were, sitting on a log, looking out at the night sky. Kagome was a little frightened at the fact that the cliff could collapse at any moment (thanks to Inuyasha) and she just stared at the stars above._"Kagome," _she heard a voice. _Ah, that happened at night. I remember, _she turned to Inuyasha and continued to speak.

Truthfully, she hadn't thought about what the meeting would be like. In fact, she didn't even want to have this talk with anyone, for that matter, especially with Inuyasha. She was nervous through the whole thing, wondering and hoping that it would be quick and painless. Their conversation was not much. Rather, it was just different apologies coming from him and she was there to listen.  
"I'm sorry that I attacked you." She sighed.

"I know."

"I'm sorry that I hurt you." She smiled.

"I know."

"You know I didn't mean to hurt you." She nodded.

"I know."

"And I wasn't trying to kill you or anything." She shrugged.

"I know."

"So why are you mad at me?"

She didn't know. What was the thing that made her so angry at him again? Oh, yes, that was right: it was her love being shattered into a million pieces. She turned to him with pain on her heart and smiled. "Because you didn't love me like I loved you," Inuyasha's ears drooped and he looked down to the ground with sadness in his eyes. She looked down to the flower in her hands and started to peel off the petals. _He loves me…_

"Loved?" _He loves me not…_ She felt a sting in her eyes, but she had to nod. It was almost a breath of fresh air to finally get something that had been causing nothing but pure agony this whole time. Her heart, it was finally realizing that there was more to life than hurt. "You loved me?" She nodded again. Finally, after all those years, the truth was coming out—but it was too late to bring happiness and joy. Inuyasha looked over at her.

The petals continued to fall; he saw her hands shaking. _He loves me…_ He looked up at her face and noticed the same smile, just different eyes. He wanted to reach out to hold her hand, to feel something like love from her—did he want to lose her love? "Yes," she whispered, "I loved you. But when I saw you with Kikyo in that hut, it," she paused. The last petal fell to the ground. _He loves me not. _Inuyasha tried to catch that last petal, to ask what it was for—because her lips started to tremble. "it felt like betrayal."

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked her. She let out a little laugh and felt her heart beat a little harder. It hurt to hear something like that, to hear that she was trying to blame him for this whole thing, but he didn't understand a thing. She dropped the stem of the flower onto the ground and noticed the broken parts spread around. She felt regret for ending the flower's life. _I've always liked Anemone. _She looked up at the sky and closed her eyes.

The wind, how calm it was during this whole thing. Why was the wind a treacherous thing when chaotic things happened? This was chaotic, wasn't it? It certainly was chaos inside her heart, but perhaps that was another part of the mess. _Especially when Sesshomaru…_ she opened her eyes and glanced at Inuyasha—he was worried. "No," she started, "you can't choose who your heart loves," he frowned and looked back to the ground. How horrible he felt—if he would've known that she loved him, then things would be different.

Then Kikyo would not be in his heart right? Was that how love worked? "When did you," he started to ask something and she knew what was coming. "stop loving me?" She knew it. From the moment he started, the pain laced in his voice gave it all away. She looked up towards the moon and started to close her eyes. _When did it…_ she started to flush through all of her memories and tried to pinpoint where it all stopped.

First it was the time he attacked her for slapping Kikyo. She remembered what he did to her, but she knew it wasn't it. _No,_ she shook her head. Inuyasha sat in silence, trying to figure it out himself. Was it when she was away from him? Was it with…? No, that couldn't be it.

Then it was the time when he pounced on her, only to end with her getting an arrow stuck in her side. She almost bled to death because of his relationship with Kikyo, but it still was not the right time. _No, I still had faith. _She continued on her journey.

Next came the break from Inuyasha, when she was saved by Sesshomaru. It was dark, a hole in time because of her unconsciousness during that time. It couldn't have been during then, only because she dreamt of him over and over again.

Finally, it was when she saw him again in the forest, and saw Sesshomaru…saw Sesshomaru protecting her. _Protecting…me? _She opened her eyes. Yes, that was it! She was on the other side of things then. She was not being protected by the hero: she was being protected by the villain. Then more memories came and went, and it all included Sesshomaru being the hero, Inuyasha being the villain. Her eyes started to blink and she continued to look through her past. Inuyasha frowned. Had the villain become the hero?

It had.

"It was when you were with Sesshomaru, wasn't it?" Her memories stopped. His voice brought her back to reality and she stared at the stars. She let out a big breath of air and looked at him again. He shrugged and frowned. "I wouldn't blame ya," he whispered. She wanted to say that she wasn't in love with Sesshomaru, but Inuyasha continued. "He did protect you when I attacked you," she pushed her lips together and looked down at the log. She noticed his nails embedded into the wood.

What could she say to that? Rather, what would Inuyasha want to hear? When she wanted to ask him what to say, she noticed him groan and stand up from the log. "Ah, screw that bastard! You probably won't be seeing him anymore anyway. He hates people like you to begin with," Kagome smiled—yes, this was the Inuyasha she knew and loved. _Loved…_ it still sounded weird to her, especially since her whole teenage life was devoted to him. Then it dawned on her.

She rose from her spot and started to argue with him. "Hey, like me? What's wrong with me!" Inuyasha started his speech. He had his eyes closed and he started to talk with his hands.

"Well you get to be annoying at times, and you do this irritating twitch when you're nervous. I don't know, you are just weird," Inuyasha opened his eyes to see a fuming Kagome. He began to panic. "N-Not like being weird is a bad thing!" He winced as he saw her close her eyes. He knew what was coming.

"Inuyasha," she seethed. Yes, it was coming. "Sit!" _Slam! _Inuyasha plummeted to the dirt and groaned. Kagome opened her eyes and giggled at the sight of Inuyasha in the ground. How she wished to have done that in the beginning! Maybe this whole talk would not have been that tense at the start. Or maybe they didn't have to have the talk, who knew. She knelt down at his side and he lifted his head. When he did, he saw her hand stretched out towards his body. He looked up at her face—there were no more tears. And although her face was red from crying, she was smiling.

"I may not love you like that anymore, and I may be weird," Inuyasha twitched; he knew better to anger Kagome. "but I don't want to lose you, shard partner," she winked to him and he looked down at her hand. He smiled with her and brought his hand into hers. She began to rise from the ground and he began to peel away from the dirt (he hated the stuff now). Soon enough, he was on his feet again—although now he felt a bit of pain in a few spots—and still holding onto her hand.

"We'll always be friends, Kagome. You don't need to worry about that. Even if you love that bastard." She nodded.

"I know," then she realized what he said and began to panic. "W-What! I-I don't love Sesshomaru!" He couldn't tell if she was blushing because of her red cheeks but she could feel her face heat up. She wasn't in love with him. She felt nothing towards the cold-hearted assassin. _Yes, I don't! Although, he's rather good-looking, _she added. Inuyasha tilted his head in confusion.

"But you stopped loving me when you were with Sesshomaru. Didn't you fall in love with him then? I mean, you have his sword, Kagome!" Did she? She started to recall the memories again, but before she got too far in, she felt a pulse. It was familiar, something that she had been striving for since she had the actual thing in her possession. Her eyes widened and she started to peer around the area. Inuyasha looked down at her and began to worry again. "What is it?"

Kagome's eyes continued to scan the area, ignoring Inuyasha by her side. She started to step away from Inuyasha, trying to pry her hand away from his. He didn't let go, but started to follow her. She didn't go very far, but she wanted it so much. This pulse was radiating in her body, shaking everything that was inside. Her blood began to run faster, her heart started to pound against her chest, her head clouded by those thoughts. Inuyasha spun Kagome around. "What is wrong?" Kagome looked back to the area and wanted to run. Instead, she became excited.

"It's the jewel shard!"

0o0

"Start, Urasue."

**DUN DUN DUNNNN. **

**And no, Urasue is not an OC. WHO IS SHE? Well, I can't spoil anything, and my readers certainly shall NOT ruin anything either!**

**Well hi there! Sorry that this is late. It was hard writing this. I started working on this on Thursday, stopped for the night, came back on Friday and was stuck on one scene until today. I wrote 3000 words today! GASP! Anyway, yeahhhh, I don't like this chapter. This is the last time she gets a chapter all to herself. She doesn't deserve such things like Sesshomaru has gotten! **

**I almost started to cry during my own writing, when I got to the whole Inuyasha/Kagome thing. I must say, I'm a fan of them, but there's too many fics about them. And I don't want to write about them. I'd probably end up with one of those lame ones, huh? EITHER WAY, I had to end her relationship with him 8( HA, did you guys catch the connection with the flower? I was being creative. Ah, so cheesy. **

**Well, that about does it. OH! I wanted to add:**

**Did you guys know that there have been two kisses in this story? 8D I'm surprised no one has actually caught them! Oh well, I am not complaining.**

**I also want to ask you guys: have you ever read the InuPapa/Kagome stories on here? Sorry, I became a fan of them. Obviously, there's nothing to read about them in the manga or the anime or anything, but I have an idea for a story about them. Would any of you be interested in something like that? I think I'll start it sooner or later, I don't know when.**

**OH! By the way, I have a new Sesshomaru/Kagome story out! It's called "Simply Irresistible" and it's nothing but LOVE. Although it's not very well written or anything. It's just a side project I'm doing to get rid of my feelings to just have these two KISS ALREADY in this story! BAH!**

**..Anyway, I'm done rambling 8D**

**Thank you for reviewing and thank you for reading! If you have any questions or comment, please review! I will reply as soon as I update! 8D**

**Until next time!**

**TLS**

_Next update: let's shoot for next Wednesday, what's up!_**  
**


	23. Chapter 23 : Lonely Journey

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**NOTE: You won't get the first part of the chapter unless you really know what I'm talking about.**

**SIDE-NOTE: Spark of feelings = RIGHT NOW.  
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She was only born to bring life into the world, to destroy the idea of death whenever possible. Had she been born a normal human (or perhaps demon, she had no idea what she was) perhaps death would still be feared. But instead, she was created and thus was brought up on the concept that life does not always have to end in death. She had no meaning of death in her own life either; she'd live.

Every century, she appeared. She could perform the most difficult task: resurrection. She had no knowledge of anything but that, but it seemed that everyone knew her for other things—they were merely rumors. They would have no idea what had gone on in her body, nor would they know how to perform such monstrosities. No, they would create rumors to spark fear into the children's hearts. That way, she would never be called again.

But they would fall back on their stories and wish. And so the story was set that she would revive the dead. Which dead, though, varied from day to day. One would be a lover that had tragically died in another's arms, another a mother of three children that did not deserve to die in the fire. Whatever the case, she could only make a certain number of bodies in order to keep the steady flow of life alive.

She only did this in hopes of obtaining true beauty, something the Gods perhaps promised her if she fulfilled this task. How her wrinkles bagged her face away; how her skin drooped from years of torture; how her life seemed to drag just as much as her old body did. So she wished and hoped that the God would hear her cry: to become a beautiful immortal. She stood in time and space, continuing to find her beauty. And in the mirror did lie the truth: the Gods would not grant her eternal beauty, but she could.

She was a God now. She performed the Devil's work, as some villagers proclaimed. She thought of it as not being the Devil's work, but as a spiritual guide to the Heavens above. She would try to connect to the Gods, but they forbid her to pass the gates of the afterlife sometimes, which angered her heart and soul. She was trying to bring back the life that had once been lost! Wasn't that enough of a good deed to bring those angels who had tragically ended their lives too soon?

But she continued, knowing that she was doing the right thing. And even if they were hollowed and different than when they had passed on, it was the work she had devoted her life to until the end. And the end, even with its looming darkness swirling above her withering body, did nothing but tempt her to sin. Perhaps this had started years ago, with mere ashes and bones to accompany her hands, but it was no request.

No, it had not been a request, but a proclamation. She had to do it. This woman, how she died was not important to her, had to be reborn again. There was no turning back when Hell was at your feet to begin with; why quit then? She remembered the swirls and auras spinning through the air as numerous souls came to this body. She admired it all.

And with this power did grant another wish: a wish of vengeance and love. Had she not woken the woman in the tomb, perhaps this would be a mere dream for others. But the half-demon—she remembered the look on his face when they met—knew it was far too real to be a dream. He touched her pale skin with hesitation; his heart was nervous to begin with when she started the spell—it was like she had never died. Legend has it that the woman reborn took back her soul, but there was nothing to be said.

Instead, both lived. And both survived on the same land. It was a mystery, even to her. She could not believe that a certain soul did not return to its original owner—had she done her work wrong? Certainly, this mysterious girl that everyone talked about was the reincarnation of the reborn woman, so why did she still lived? Was it of sheer will? No, there had been nothing wrong with her calculations nor with her magic. There had to be a missing link.

So she investigated. High in the trees, under the ground, soaring in the sky, she watched this one girl for months. She carefully studied how she fought, the way she cared for others, and everything else in-between. There was no mistake: this girl had to be the reincarnation! So what had happened while trying to seize her soul? Had the second life the woman had received failed to grab her own soul? Was it possible that the body simply rejected the soul?

This bothered her for years to come. She did not perform anymore reviving spells for those years, either. She wanted to know why and how this girl continued to survive, and she continued to come up with nothing. Nothing at all! What a terrible excuse, she thought. There had to be something; it couldn't have resorted to nothing at all. That would be impossible.

What if the impossible was possible? She certainly proved that all things can come back, mere ashes making their body and different souls being their own soul. But what if this was the one thing she could not prove? What is someone had finally defeated her at her game, making sure she would never create such a creature ever again? This was the Gods' doing, wasn't it?

Three years had passed since someone had bothered her. Perhaps she was just waiting for death to take her life, for there was no point in living if a creature could not be revived like that. Had the girl done this to her, causing her to spiral into disillusion about everything she had worked for? She would question everything she had done in her life—was it all worth the pain in the end?

Had those creatures suffered pain like this? They had beauty, a life, families, everything else that she had not gotten in her life. What would be the point of feeling pain if they had everything she wanted? Certainly, there would be times of heartbreak—but they'd have no heart to break. They'd think they were dying—but there would be no brain to conjure thoughts. They were mindless zombies, for all she knew, and she was their mother.

But her day would come. Two women, one was her daughter, stood before her in the darkness of her home, exclaiming their plan. She had not heard of such things for years, and this thrilled her. Was this the answer she had been looking for? Whatever it was, she turned to the two women in a smile and told them that it would be done. She told them that she needed the parts to create this monster—all beings were created somehow—and they set off again.

It'd be a few more days before all the parts came together, aligned in some way that she would smile with happiness. Piled high into the forest, the trees swayed with the casual wind that set the tone, and she heard one of the women whisper: _"Start, Urusae." _It had been in the past that she would be respected, not bossed around like any other demon—but this was different. These two women had no need to care about her life, as it would most certainly end by the end of the spell.

This was what she had been searching the last three years: her pleasurable sendoff. How she did not want to die in the darkness, but to know that her legacy would live on in an unstoppable creature—well, that meant that the Gods accepted her into whatever Heaven she was going to, even if it were Hell. This creature—she couldn't remember the name, but one of the women kept violently muttering under her breath—would be the one that would receive her unconditional love.

And the final piece that had to be given was a heart. So she began to chant the spell, aware that at the end of it all, she'd die. Even though she was told that she could never die, she knew she would have to at some point. But she did not care; she couldn't wait to die. It was not suicide that she was doing, no, but she had enough time to conjure a legacy. Arms, legs, torsos, you name it: they started to form a body. The wind violently spun around this creature, creating everything and anything it wished for—and it wanted its old body back. She would grant this wish: anything for her child.

The trees rustled with the wind; branches from said trees fell onto the ground and spun with the wind; the two women next to her hid their faces from the bright light coming off the body; she did nothing but laugh. She was starting to see her child's face, full of vengeance and anguish that it wanted nothing but revenge. It screamed in terror, fearing that it were dying again, but she reassured it that it was truly living its dream. It'd have its revenge, all thanks to her.

She chanted more spells, seeing her final creation coming to an end. A hole began to widen at the center of her chest and she felt her heart already leaving her body. She looked up to the creature staring down at her body and it wondered what she was doing. She smiled. _"Take this,"_ she whispered to it; her heart started to disconnect from her. _"and get back what you have lost," _A final chant of her spell would send her heart flying into the creature's chest, and another bright light cast over the three women.

One fell into her own blood and two looked on with both disgust and regret. But what was done was done, and her legacy would live on with this creature. It smiled, recognizing the two women that welcomed its return. It could feel the silent heart inside its chest beat with anger and it knew what it had to do: it had to kill. The two women told it: _"Get her," _and it knew exactly who they were talking about.

_"Don't worry," _it spoke, _"she will die the same way I did,"_ and it was gone. The two women left her to die in her blood, but it was the look of the creature that sent her to Heaven. She had done enough. And if it meant that the world was to be encased in a swirl of darkness forever, then that was the way she was supposed to live: fully encased in darkness.

The world didn't have enough of it, anyway.

0o0

Inuyasha and Kagome wasted no time where they stood moments before: they rushed to the village. They were so close to ending this journey, this adventure that all started with a simple accident, and they wanted it to stop. There was no need to continue with this quest together, anyway, considering that both of them couldn't come up with a proper sendoff for either one. But it wouldn't hurt to try one more time.

She hopped on his back, just like old times, and neither one of them said a word. There wasn't much to be said anyway; it was going to end. How it was going to end was the looming question but they wouldn't worry about that until the jewel was complete. Then maybe would they have to start worrying about how it would truly end.

But would it truly end when the jewel was complete? Sure, the journey to find the shards would be complete, but the hardships that could follow were always ominous. There was no sure future for the group, especially with all of the fights that only worsened the tension in the air sometimes. And yet they didn't care; they continued on, hoping and striving to move on into whatever adventure awaited them.

Kagome followed the aura of the jewel shard around, wondering why it was just sitting in one spot. _Is this a trap that we're playing into? This doesn't feel right, _she thought as she felt the wind whip through her hair and slide against her skin. The sky was normal, the air felt cool, and the trees were still green. Why was she worried? _Maybe I'm nervous about what's going to happen._

She closed her eyes and forgot about the jewel for a brief moment. It was a passing thought, and perhaps it was a thoughtless comment, but Inuyasha's words continued to echo in her mind: _"Didn't you fall in love with him then?" _Had she? She didn't feel anything towards the demon, nor did she pained at the thought of being away from him. But she certainly did miss being around him. She shook her head and thought no more on the matter. She opened her eyes and continued her focus on the jewel shard.

Inuyasha, too, was trying to sense a demon's, half-demon's, hell, a human's aura, but nothing was around. There were villagers, of course, that surrounded the area and roaming demons most likely in search for the shard, but nothing unordinary. It was no matter, though, and his focus was only directed toward acquiring the shard. After all, he wanted to end this as much as Kagome did, right?

All that was said was that the jewel shard was near, and he'd have to trust her that it was actually the jewel shard that they were after, not some trick that she had up her own sleeve for revenge. That was all that could be said at the moment. There was nothing more important than what they had wanted for years. He could trust her, right? Then again, had she ever lied to him about anything?

When they arrived at the village, which was not far from where they previously were, their group welcomed them back. "Ah, Lady Kagome! Inuyasha! That had not taken long," Miroku smiled as he saw his friends enter the village. Sango and Shippo, too, welcomed them after they came out from their huts.

"Welcome back!" They both said as they looked toward the two arriving. Kagome felt her feet touch the ground once Inuyasha let go of her and she ran toward Sango. Holding onto her shoulders, she looked her right in her eyes. Kagome and Inuyasha, however, wasted no time: "The jewel shard is near!" They were shocked at first, but then realized what they had said. Sango and Miroku screamed in shock and Shippo merely shouted in excitement.

"Really!" Both Inuyasha and Kagome nodded. Sango and Miroku knew what to do: they had to prepare. Whatever was holding onto this shard could be dangerous and deadly, so there would be no slacking off during the fight.

Kagome knelt down to grab Shippo as Inuyasha walked past everyone into his own hut. It was a little strange to see him walk away without saying a word, but she knew that this was very important. Sango and Miroku, too, did the same as they didn't want to lose this opportunity to get the shard. Shippo smiled up to Kagome. "Kagome! We finally can get it! We can get the shard!" She stood up and smiled down at the little fox-demon.

"Yes! Ah, it's going to feel so good!" She stretched her limbs a bit before walking into her home. It was a little messy, considering that Shippo was alone the whole time, but she didn't care at this point. Shippo jumped out of her arms and scouted around the home for her weapons and necessities. He grabbed the necklace that held the jewel together and watched at it reacted to the last shard around. The bright light made his eyes squint.

She started to look at her weapons. The first was her bow. She had trained so much since leaving Sesshomaru's side (Inuyasha's words still bothered her) and she might not have the chance to fight this demon—or human, depending on who had the shard. Everyone else would fight for her, protecting her so she could purify the shard if need be, and she'd be stuck in the back watching the fight unfold. Shippo placed the jewel by her bow and smiled at her. "Let's go get the shard, Kagome!"

She frowned. She really wouldn't be retrieving the shard if everyone was fighting. She was just there to detect where the shard was and then put the jewel together. Then what would happen? Would she be attacked by Kikyo in order to wish on the jewel for Inuyasha? Or would the thought of having the jewel completed make Inuyasha attack her again and most likely kill her for the object? She couldn't wish on the latter. She'd at least have a chance against Kikyo.

When reaching for the jewel, she brushed against the other weapon that she trained with. It wasn't hers, but it felt like it while she trained. _The Tenseiga, _she thought as she picked up the sword. She started to feel her face heat up just a little bit while thinking about Sesshomaru. It had been a long time since she saw him. "_Aim with fury", huh? What kind of advice is that Sesshomaru?_ She sighed and placed the sword on her lap.

But if it weren't for him, she'd have no protector. She'd be dead and none of this would've ever happened in the first place. What had really enticed him to save her? _I can't seem to remember, so maybe I'll ask him, _she thought as the jewel started to brightly glow. Shippo rubbed his eyes in pain as Kagome grabbed the pink object. Looking at the light, something inside made her wonder. She looked down at Shippo. "Hey, Shippo," Shippo tried looking at her, but it still hurt to open his eyes. "Do you think we can get the shard ourselves?"

Shippo wanted to answer, but he couldn't. Instead, Inuyasha stormed into the hut the moment she finished her question. Kagome looked up at Inuyasha; the pink light disappeared. Shippo wanted to comment on that, but it wasn't the time to do so. Inuyasha yelled at her: "Come on! We have to go get this shard! There's no time to sit around!" And he quickly left. Kagome watched as her once loved companion walked away into the arms of another and prepare for their battle. She stood up with her hands full of weapons and Shippo followed.

She stood at the door and looked down at the fox-demon. She didn't smile. "Follow my lead, Shippo," she whispered as she stepped out. Shippo felt really bad for leaving the others out of it. They had been through this ordeal the whole time, and now they were getting cheated of their chance of getting the shard. But he followed her.

0o0

Kagome felt her feet a little heavy, her shoulder hurt and her heart a bit pained by deceiving everyone, but it had to be done. This was her battle, right? She had to get the shard, no one else. If someone had to do the right thing, she had to do it all. Inuyasha stood next to Kikyo and the others as he huffed about which direction the shard was. "Oi! Which way is the shard at?" She bit the inside of her mouth and pointed to the North; it was the wrong way.

"It's that way, Inuyasha! We should split up, I think. You four can go toward the person while Shippo and I surround them. That way, they don't expect it," she commented. Kikyo eyed her cautiously, but Sango and Miroku both nodded at the idea.

"That's a fine idea, Lady Kagome. Split up the powers, right?" She nodded. Sango nodded and ran up to her.

Sango wrapped her arms around Kagome (which only made things harder for Kagome) and quickly pulled away at the sound of Inuyasha's impatience. "This is it!" Sango smiled while Kagome smiled back. Shippo frowned at the exchange of emotions as the rest of them prepared for the battle. Kirara transformed while Miroku hopped on its back; Kikyo glanced back at Kagome once more before lifting herself on Inuyasha's back; Sango gave one final look at Kagome before running to her companions; Inuyasha turned his head to her.

"Oi! I can't have you dying on me! You better meet us for the battle!" Kagome had tears in her eyes, but she nodded. She had to keep her smile on, had to stay strong, and she did her best. Inuyasha turned the way she pointed and dashed on. The others followed, and Kagome stood alone with Shippo at her side. For a minute, she stood with the intention of crying due to the betrayal she had done, but she bit her lip and looked down at Shippo.

"Shippo," he nodded and changed forms. Although he was worried that this was a terrible idea, and although the thought of her dying would still be there, it was not the time to panic. She flung herself on top of Shippo's back and gripped her bow and sword in her hands. The pink jewel glowed with intensity as they embarked on their own journey toward the shard. They would not meet Inuyasha and the others later on; she'd make it to the jewel and defeat whatever was waiting for her.

Through the sky they soared; the wind whipped through her hair; the trees quickly passed through her memory; she closed her eyes. _It's just like…like that time. _Dodging trees left and right, Kagome continued to tell Shippo where to go, but her mind was still clouded. Her side started to hurt a little bit at the thoughts and she could feel her chest pained. _I'm in no danger; he's near. _Kagome could feel the shard's pulse get stronger as they approached whatever was waiting, and she opened her eyes. Off in the distance, there it was: a pink light.

Kagome tapped her fingers on Shippo's back and he transformed back to normal. She jumped off and began to run. She had to know who was still there, still waiting for her to arrive. It was near a waterfall, a place that she had gone to a few times before. The grass was getting greener, the flowers were thriving with life, and the air was a sultry one. Shippo tried to follow her, but something was holding him back, something…_ like a barrier? _Shippo was stopped before approaching Kagome, so he tried to yell: "Kagome!" But it was no use; he was too far away. And she was almost there, almost making it to the place where it would end.

When she made it through the clearing, she had to bend over to catch her breath. There were flowers all over the place; waves of water falling from the cliff were rambunctious and peaceful; sounds of birds around made everything serene. She gripped her bow a little bit before bending back. And while she made her stance, she could see no one there—there was just the pink glow of the shard hiding behind a tree. Although she was a little hesitant to come close to whatever it was, she wanted the shard. So she made a few steps.

"E-Excuse me!" She yelled to the person. They made no move. Had she seen this kimono somewhere before? "I seek what you have! Come out before I shoot!" She had no arrow equipped in her bow, though, so it was a useless cry of intimidation. Before she made it to the tree, she heard a voice.

"You would not shoot, Kagome," it said to her. _H-How does it know my name! _Her heart was racing, the jewel was glowing more than it ever had before, and she was nervous. Why was her face heating up again? "for you have no animosity for this one," he said to her. She peeked around the tree, to somehow catch a glimpse of the person, but all she saw was a hand holding out the shard, as if teasing her about it in the first place. The hand closed; the light was hidden. When she took another step, the wind picked up.

At first, she closed her eyes because of the particles of water splashing against her face and the flowers spiraling around her, but when she opened her eyes, the person was right in front of her. At first, she was afraid that something was going to happen. But then she knew this person. Her heart raced, her breathing was getting heavier, and she was getting nervous again. Silver hair enveloped her raven black hair and it made it seem like they were intertwined. When she looked up at his face, tears wanted to fall; Somehow, he seemed…softer? She missed him. She missed his presence, she missed his demeanor, and she missed _him_. The jewel's glow died and the calm breeze passed through their gap. While he wanted to say something, she had to say it first.

"Sesshomaru."

**Well. Wednesday passed like..two weeks ago. And today is Monday.**

**Good job.**

**ANYWAY, I hate this chapter. I don't like how I worded everything after the mysterious thing in the first half, but whatever. WHAT'S DONE IS DONE! Although, now I'll be writing ROMANCE for a while! Oh, this'll be sweet. Next chapter is ALL Sesshomaru and Kagome. The next after that will be half Sesshomaru and Kagome, and the other half will be action! Fun stuff for me. **

**Here's a question: do you think I OOC'ed on Kagome? I think she'd try to defeat whoever had the shard herself! She'd been training for so long, and now she could have her chance to fight something! Not only that, but because the others wouldn't let her fight demons in the village, she could definitely prove them wrong! I don't know, haha. I'm so bad. Sesshomaru stayed in character. He didn't even do anything.  
**

**Again, sorry for the terrible chapter and how late this is XD I didn't mean to be THIS late, but I've been working my butt off for money, and that's no fun when writing stories. But I hope you somewhat enjoyed this chapter? NEXT CHAPTER, AH, I'll make that awesome. Now everything will be so easy to write now that Sesshomaru's back! WOO!**

**How will I write romance into this, with maybe 10 chapters left? I DON'T KNOW. But it'll happen. Maybe a death will happen. Oh my god, I have an idea.**

**WELL. I'm done here. Thank you for reading, waiting, and whatever else you have been doing! **

**Until next time!**

**TLS  
**


	24. Chapter 24 : Wronged Assumption

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**NOTE: Start of the climax. FAIR WARNING**

_Previously, on Blossoms into Love..._

_The jewel was glowing more than it ever had before. Silver hair enveloped her raven black hair._

_"Sesshomaru."_

0o0

Nothing made sense. Nothing created sounds. Nothing moved. Nothing was happening between the two people around the waterfall, the beautiful flowers underneath their feet, and the shady trees that protected them from the sunlight. Nothing wanted to seem real, but if they reached out to anything, it had form, it had life, and it was not a dream. They were nothing to others, but everything to each other.

And everything was happening as it was supposed to happen, but they didn't understand why. Time made no sense, and their time together made no sense at the time proclaimed. It was a mystery to them both, but they knew they had to be there. Something about the place made them believe they were meant to face each other once again. Perhaps something was going to happen; perhaps they needed to figure out life together. But they didn't know a thing.

Kagome stood there, looking into his eyes and continuously listening to the water splash into the lake below. She was thinking of her dream, wanting everything to be surreal so she could wake up again and believe everything was back to normal. The little particles hit her arm, but she couldn't find out what she was supposed to feel while standing there. Was she supposed to make it seem like it were a dream? Or make it seem like it was no big deal?

Sesshomaru stood there staring into her eyes. On the outside, he seemed calm, seemed to stand with confidence, but inside—he was out of control. He didn't know what to do next; he did not know what to say to her; he did not think about the aftermath of seeing her again. Hearing her voice sparked something with his beast, and he gave everything in his willpower to keep it hidden from her, in case he were to frighten her.

But she noticed; his eyes, though barely noticeable, were changing every once in a while. His beast would come from beyond and he would still be standing there, trying to make sense of everything. Somehow, she was not frightened by the thought of his beast coming out—she had seen it enough to know that its only purpose was protecting her and Rin, along with Jaken at times.

Her hand loosened the grip on her bow, and she bent her head. He took it as a sign of respect, again, and scowled at his title over the Western Lands. He wished he were a normal demon at times, so he would not get such respect from those he desired; he wished for her eyes again. But how was he supposed to approach a priestess that had never been on good terms with him until then? How was he supposed to talk to her?

But she kept her head down, kept looking down at the shard in his hand. She couldn't keep the thought away: how did he come to have the shard? Why was he searching for the shard in the first place? Why was he _there_? _This journey, what did he gain from it? _she felt the jewel around her neck intensely glow as she felt her chest struggle to cope with what she was feeling. _I don't even know how to feel, _she brought her eyes back to see his.

He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Since he had last seen her, she had not changed in the slightest (perhaps in her skill, but her glow still radiated through the shadows). He wondered if his heart, or perhaps his beast now, thought of her as an attractive being—but part of him still believed that humans were disgusting and unworthy of his time. She couldn't possibly be an exception. But his eyes twitched when they saw some kind of…_pain_ in her eyes.

Before he could speak, she did. "Why did you save me?"

0o0

He started to reflect. He started to remember why he went after her in the first place, why he went after Inuyasha for attacking the human girl. He was fascinated in Inuyasha, why he was becoming a demon when the human girl did nothing at all. If Inuyasha had not turned into a demon, then would he have went after the girl to save her? Or would she be dead?

So he went further into the future, when he was protecting her while her wounds were healing, inside the forest. He remembered each and every day, remembered how the wind blew through his body and circulated around hers, how her wounds bled almost every night before his bandages finally kept her wounds closed enough to heal, how her blood…smelled. So was it all for his beast?

So he reflected more on her just being there. He wished for her body to be gone, for her presence away from his every day, every hour, every minute. He wished for peace with his old wards, instead of the two he had to look after because of his idiotic brother trying to gain something from the girl's death. Was it for honor?

He thought about that as a possibility. A human near a demon lord was blasphemous; she would've been dead if it were someone else, some other human. So why was she different? Demons from around the land knew Rin was his ward, the one he used to see if the Tenseiga was really that great, and he was stuck with her; she was his creation. But this girl, she had no merit for him. All she was, to him, was a human.

_"Maybe Rin and I are growing on you" _echoed in his mind. It was a possibility, too. When she was gone, something was missing. He still felt the need to protect her and still felt like he was the only thing that could keep her safe and away from harm. Perhaps that was why he kept going back to that human village to see her, to see that she was okay with being in that village while the two that harmed her in the first place were scheming again. He just needed to see her again.

But while he looked back into her eyes, he knew the answer wasn't there. "I have no answer for my reasoning," he replied to her. He simply didn't know why he saved her. He didn't know why he had to venture with her after her wounds healed. He didn't know why he had to leave her, only to search for her again. And he knew he would disappoint her from saying that, but some part of him still did not care about her—and he knew it was his beast.

"So you saved me on a whim?" He thought of it that way, but he knew it wasn't true. He didn't save her because he was passing time; he saved her because…

"No," he replied back. She looked confused, and he wanted to keep her from that. "You were saved because of my fascination with Inuyasha," _Ah, that's right. He turned into a demon, and Sesshomaru rushed to my aid because of it. _She wanted to ask something else, but he spoke. "Do you wish you were dead?" She shook her head. She knew well enough she wanted to be alive.

"No," she whispered. He looked down at her petite body and saw her struggling to make sense of any of it. "But it bothers me. You took no interest in me before, and then all of the sudden, you're everywhere. You have absolutely no reason why you saved me, only because of Inuyasha's demon side?" He nodded; she frowned. "If that's the case, why was I by your side?"

He held onto the little pink shard in his hand. Then, suddenly, on some kind of 'whim' that she was addressing, he opened his palm and looked down at the glowing light. He didn't have an answer for that either. He just wanted her by his side, for some unknown reason, and knew he had to keep her safe. His nose twitched and he looked at her.

She looked with him; her eyes stung. _That's why, _she thought. She closed her eyes and chuckled. He could tell her anguish and saw her almost crying. Why? What had he done? "What reasons are there for you to cry?" He asked her. She opened her eyes and stared at the jewel shard. No matter what she did, those things followed her, like a curse. No matter what she was feeling, they would come out of nowhere and ruin everything.

"Stupid," she muttered to herself; he heard. He wrapped his fingers around the jewel shard and she looked into his eyes. His heart pounded against his chest; he hated when humans cried. It was a terrible sight and was awful to see, especially when she did it. But he didn't understand why.

"Do you mock this one?" She smiled, with a few tears falling down her cheek. He could feel her power growing—was she getting angry?

"No, Sesshomaru," she said to him. She felt her fingers dig into her palm and form two fists by her side. The bow she was holding was shaking. "I was talking about myself."

"And why do you judge yourself harshly?" She shook her head.

"You still don't want to accept it?" What was he trying to accept? "You're still denying it." Her tone changed, from one of pain to one that was flabbergasted. "You say you are not like him," he took 'him' as Inuyasha, "yet you two are so alike, in so many ways." Sesshomaru stepped toward her, but she stepped away. "No, I understand," she whispered.

He stopped; she was still a few inches away from him. "Why are you comparing this one to Inuyasha?" She tried to understand the situation. _So, when he was protecting me, the direction that we were going, were we always going toward the shard? And he left me in that cave to find it? Or, maybe…_ her mind was scrambling for an answer.

But she continued to stare into his eyes and kept feeling crushed by it all. "The shard," she whispered. He opened his palm and stared at it again. She didn't move her eyes, but she knew. He still didn't understand; he wanted to give the shard to her and save her the trouble, because he wanted to see her again. He wanted to feel this—he needed to know.

When he blinked, he saw her hand moving toward her neck. He followed her hand and saw her fingers wrap around the jewel attached to a string. With one pull, it was off and dangling above his palm that had the shard. The pink glow grew brighter. Kagome saw his eyes continue to follow the almost whole jewel, and she frowned. It rested in his palm and the light shined. When Sesshomaru looked back up to see her, she had no expression on her face.

"You give this jewel to me as if I want such a trivial thing," he whispered to her. "This shard has no meaning," before he could continue, he saw her drop her bow and wrap her hands around his hand. He saw her curl his fingers to let the jewel disappear in his hand, and she pressed down on his hand.

"I give you this jewel because, for one thing, I am no match to fight you," why would she fight him? He looked down at the hands and saw her dig her nails into his flesh. Why was she angry? "and because you used me." He pulled away from her.

"I did no such thing." She saw him becoming defensive and snapped her head to look at him. He was getting rather annoyed with her.

"Yes you did! You kept me along for a certain length of time to get the last shard! You used me like a jewel detector!"

"I had no knowledge of where the shard was, girl. I suggest you think twice of your words before you rationalize me as an untrustworthy human you are associated with."

"And I suggest you think twice of your actions! Sesshomaru, every demon wants this, Lord or not. Just take it and go!" But he would have none of that. Instead, he grabbed her and pushed her against the nearest tree. The birds above flew away; the waterfall seemed to be crashing down into the water below; he held onto her arms; she closed her eyes.

"Listen, human, you will stop your mockery of this one. This jewel is not meant for myself—it is meant for you to complete and purify." Kagome felt something inside shaking. Sesshomaru felt his beast whining. "This jewel is useless to a power like mine…" he felt his hands burning; she wasn't controlling her power. He jumped away in time, as she burst with pure energy.

"Stop!" She yelled. The wind picked up; they stood in silence. Her hand moved, however, to the hilt of the Tenseiga, and he watched her. He didn't know what she was going to do—was she actually going to fight him? Instead, she unsheathed the sword and stabbed it into the ground. The empty sheath fell from her waist and landed a few inches away from her feet. "Just stop, I've had enough!" She rested her hands on the hilt; he moved back where he was. One of his hands was placed over hers. But she pulled away.

"No," she whispered. "No, you are not caring about me. You didn't." She was lying. He wanted to reach out and tell her otherwise. But he couldn't. "It's okay, Sesshomaru. You want the jewel? Fine. You take it, you probably know what you want to wish for. It'll do more good for you than it has for me," she turned away from him. He saw her grab her bow as well. But he needed to see her face; he couldn't let her go yet.

"Kagome…" he whispered. She closed her eyes; how she wished to hear his voice say her name again. Hope was coming back, but she couldn't take it. She turned to face him; she was smiling, but he focused on the tears in her eyes.

"You have what you came for, Sesshomaru," she didn't want to leave, but she couldn't possibly stay. "You don't need me anymore. Just…let me go," she turned away and started to run. _Goodbye, Sesshomaru, _and she continued to run. He watched her go, dodging different trees that she passed moments before. He looked down at the jewel in his hand and then back to the forest.

What had he done?

0o0

Inuyasha and the others stopped in the middle of the forest, searching whatever land was around them. Sango and Miroku landed on the ground while Inuyasha took to high ground. "Inuyasha, why are we stopping?" Sango yelled to her companion.

"There's nothing over there but some weaker demons! Where the hell is she directing us?" He felt Kikyo's hands grip his shoulders, tightening around his skin. While he was looking around, she turned her head to the North, where the jewel shard actually was; Inuyasha was looking to the West. "Damn it, we don't have much time left of daylight!" When he let Kikyo down from his back, she balanced on the tree and looked in one direction.

She was angry, yes. She did not want Kagome near the jewel shard, much less having the whole thing complete while the others were on a giant hunt for absolutely nothing. She heard the others jump off their transport, but her eyes did not turn away from the forest to the North. How she wished the woman was here, so they could fight once and for all, to see who was the stronger priestess after all. But she knew the plan.

And so she jumped from the tree and stood near the trunk. If it were any other time, she would've allowed Inuyasha to know about the plan. But he would then be an enemy, and he already lied to her in the first place. He deserved no second chances, especially when he was supposed to be sleeping on the tree, waiting for death to come. Sango and Miroku looked over at her.

"Lady Kikyo?" Inuyasha glanced down at her and saw her walking toward the forest.

"H-Hey! Kikyo, where are you going?" Kikyo did not stop walking, but spoke to them while moving toward the shard.

"She lied to all of you. She knew where the shard was, but left all of you out." Sango yelled out to her, with Miroku agreeing with what she was saying.

"You're wrong! Kagome would never do something like that!" Kikyo stopped. They trusted this woman, with everything they had, and yet there she was, somewhere in the middle of the forest with almost the complete jewel, and they all hadn't a clue. She looked up to the sky and saw her soul catchers circling the forest, with a few knowing where she was. She heard Inuyasha jump from the tree down to the ground, as the shifting of the grass below his feet grew closer and closer to her.

She turned to face them, and saw Inuyasha bounce off the barrier. "W-What the hell is this?" Sango and Miroku ran up to Inuyasha and tried to go through as well, but they, too, were stopped by the barrier. "Kikyo, what is going on?" She closed her eyes and smiled.

"You believe a girl that had trespassed in this era when she was never meant for this place to begin with. As I have said, she lied to all of you. She never wanted to group together to find the last jewel; she wanted to find it alone. This was her plan all along. You could've never surrounded the enemy," she turned away, while Inuyasha tried to break the barrier. But his body was not allowed inside. "because the enemy surrounded her."

Miroku yelled to her. "Lady Kikyo, what do you mean by that!" Sango began to worry; what was happening to Kagome? Inuyasha pounded his fist on the wall of the barrier, seeing it topple over some of the forest.

"Kikyo, what are you going to do!" Sango yelled out to her. Kikyo began to walk, but spoke out to the entire group.

"I will get the shard, but her life, I will not spare in the process."Miroku looked over at Inuyasha and Sango, who was ordering him to do something about the whole ordeal. He had his hands on the barrier and leaned against the wall. Sango was trying to take out the barrier with her boomerang, but it was useless. Miroku walked over to Inuyasha and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Inuyasha," he looked up at Miroku, "we must stop her."

Inuyasha frowned. "I know."

**Hi, I'm TheLostSpirit. Remember me? Here, I'll refresh your memory with this chapter.**

**LOL I'm terrible with this story. DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT TOOK ME TO WHIP THIS UP? I haven't started working on this story since I last updated (LAST JULY WTF) and yesterday, I was all, "I should probably work on this." LOL**

**WELL. Hey. I'm back for the summer! You've probably seen other stories made by me around the site since I updated this last. For example, I finished Simply Irresistible, so that's nice. **

**Back to the topic of the story: this probably _wasn't what I wanted, _****but it fits with what I want in the next chapters, SO. I'm sticking with it. I _probably_ wanted Sesshomaru to confess something to her, but I was all, "TOO SOON" today, so let's add more drama! YES. YES. YES. I'm sorry, Sesshomaru. I'll make it up to you with some romance (WHICH, BY THE WAY, IT WILL HAPPEN. SHUT UP. I JUST NEED HIM TO COME TO TERMS WITH IT, DANG IT).  
**

******Next chapter's gonna fun. REALLY FUN. I'm going to mess with your MINDS. WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN?  
**

******I don't even know LOL BUT SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN.**

******Anyway, I apologize for the LONGEST WAIT EVER. People waiting for The Lying Truth will probably wait longer LOL Sorry. I'm slowly getting back into writing, so please be patient! I will say, I will update this story again by the end of the month. I SWEAR!**

******Thank you for reading! I'll try to reply to updates next chapter too! **

******Until next time!**

******TLS  
**


	25. Chapter 25 : Impossible Return

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**NOTE: REALLY the start of the climax. FAIR WARNING.**

_Previously, on Blossoms into Love..._

_"You don't need me anymore. Just...let me go." She started to run._

_What had he done?_

0o0_  
_

He hid in the shadows. It was the one place in the land where the world could not touch what he had. He watched over the field, watched the two people fight over what was his before his fate in the afterlife. The trees gave no light; the skies above created the shade; the voices were laced with darkness, something he longed to own once more in the body he once had. But he was stuck in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to arise.

So he watched. The woman's voice, while alluring, was laced with the most darkness. The man that stood before her changed. He couldn't place the change, perhaps it was a liking to the girl, but he noticed the man had changed since he was alive. The man in the shadows continued to watch the man in the light, and noticed how hard he tried to hide what had been changed, but the light showed what wanted to be hidden.

He watched the man charge the girl and attack her, showing his dominance over her. But it had not been the same. Yes, he noticed something was different with the man. He still couldn't place it. Their words were too quiet and they were finally in the shade. He could not find the facts when he was in the darkness, too. He would have to wait.

"What will you do?" He forgot the woman behind him. He was used to people asking what he was going to do with his life, what he would do next to ensure he would stay in power. But he was following their orders for once, following what they wanted him to do (although he wanted the same thing since being resurrected). The fight below was over; the girl was walking away toward the light. The man had stayed behind in the darkness. He looked back at the woman in the trees.

A smile crept onto his face. "I will introduce myself," he whispered. Then he vanished.

0o0

"Damn it!" Inuyasha tried and tried to break the barrier, hacking away at the walls with both his normal Tetsuseiga and his red one. Nevertheless, he planted his sword into the ground and leaned against the hilt. He was out of breath and out of energy to try any further. Miroku and Sango just stood near the edge of the barrier and stared out into the empty woods that lied ahead. Inuyasha stared at the ground.

Had Kagome set them up? Or had Kikyo? He couldn't figure it out. On one hand, Kagome brought them somewhere nowhere _near_ the shard and went off on her own to try and get the damn thing. On the other hand, Kikyo told them that she would not spare Kagome's life in getting the shard (which did not surprise him, since she wanted her soul in the first place). He didn't know who to trust.

Or who trusted him. Did the others think he knew what was going on? "Inuyasha," he heard Sango talk to him. But he didn't look at her. He just looked at the ground. Why was this happening? They were so close to getting the shard, so close to ending all the terrible upbringings, and then something like that had to happen.

He felt someone place a hand on his shoulder. "Inuyasha," it was Miroku. He was supposed to be the 'hero' (it was what Kagome nicknamed him) and there he was, helpless and hopeless at the same time. Who would he save, anyhow, if he got inside that barrier? Would he try to save Kagome and betray the woman he loved for his entire life? Or would he try to save Kikyo and possibly kill the woman that had been by his side since the very beginning? He growled.

"Damn it all," he whispered. Miroku squeezed his shoulder and Inuyasha looked out toward the trees. How he wished he could tear down a barrier with his bare hands and go into those woods to save everyone in danger. What was in there that made Kikyo leave them behind? Sango didn't look away from the trees.

"What if Kagome's in there? What if she's in danger?" Inuyasha didn't doubt that. He didn't doubt she was in danger; Kikyo was on her own, out for vengeance because she despised Kagome. And he didn't doubt she was in there, either; she wanted the jewel shard just as much as he did. "What are we going to do, Inuyasha?" He looked down at the ground again and closed his eyes. He wished he knew the answer, but he had nothing.

His ears twitched. Something was coming near him, but he knew this scent. Had there been imminent danger to make him escape? Inuyasha felt his nose twitch; he smelt no blood, just a normal demon scent. He turned his head toward the noise and paid attention to the bushes. There were rustles in the leaves, crunches of the dried leaves nearby. Miroku and Sango put up a guard, but Inuyasha just stayed there, slumped over his sword. "Whatever happens," Miroku began, "we are doing everything we can."

As the group watched the bushes move, Inuyasha reflected on his life. Had he done everything he could with Kagome? With Kikyo? He couldn't do anything and everything right now, which he despised, especially when he was helpless. Had he made Kagome's life a little easier and a bit peaceful, when there was so much chaos around? He wished he could be there by her side, to at least be there to get the last shard and help with whatever it was holding her in a cage.

The noise popped out of the bushes. Inuyasha turned his head and saw a little demon flop against the forest floor. "Shippo!" Inuyasha heard his human friends cry out. They would check for injuries, tend to his side, but Inuyasha would stay slumped over his sword, looking down at the group. What was he going to do?

Miroku and Sango knelt before their little friend; they saw the fear in his eyes. "You guys!" He leapt into Sango's arms, holding her as she watched the little fox demon almost tremble in her arms.

"Shippo? Are you okay?" He shook his head against her chest.

"Kagome, she's…she's…" Inuyasha looked out into the woods again.

"She's in there." Shippo nodded against her chest and Sango closed her eyes. It answered one of her questions, at least. Miroku rested a hand against Shippo's back and comforted the little demon. Shippo continued.

"And I have…have this feeling that she's…she's…" Sango tried to look down at his face, but he wouldn't pull away from her. Miroku looked at Sango, and saw how worried she was; Inuyasha glared at the empty forest protected by the barrier.

"Is she in danger, Shippo?" Shippo didn't move, just cried.

"I don't know." Inuyasha growled; it was uncertainty that pissed him off. He hated not knowing; he hated not being able to do anything; he hated not being in control of his situations. Miroku glanced up at the half-demon in their group; something changed in his position that worried him.

"Inuyasha?" Inuyasha just growled. He felt rejuvenated, he felt alive. He felt his teeth grind against each other, his hands clenched against the hilt of his sword, and his nails pierce through his own palm. He straightened his posture and stared directly into the forest. Sango moved her head to look at him and saw his eyes.

"Inuyasha!" He turned his head; they saw the red.

He growled. "Damn it all!" He took hold of his sword and went back to hacking away at the barrier. He needed to get inside.

0o0

He reflected on what had just transpired. He watched her run away from him, over and over again. He watched her tears fall from her brown eyes and cry out for him to do something. He watched her step away from him and slammed his own sword into the ground. He watched; he didn't do a thing.

Sesshomaru stared at the little glowing shard sit in the palm of his hand. He wanted no life that involved such a dangerous weapon. It held no value in his life, anyway. Perhaps in Rin's, however she was too young to understand the divine powers it both possessed and expressed. He watched it glow with intensity near the almost complete jewel in the same hand. She was so close to completing the jewel; why would she give it up so easily?

_"It'll do more good for you than it has for me." _The jewel was something that possessed evil and good, and whatever strings that were attached in the process. He knew she had been through Hell and back trying to complete the damned thing, so perhaps it was not so surprising that she would give up such a thing. Perhaps it was her way of saying that she was willing to give up on her journey and bring a sense of inner peace to herself. Yet if she were the protector of the jewel, she would have to accept the terms of protecting such a weapon; otherwise, she would be blamed for the destruction of the world.

He wrapped his hand around the small item. He could see the pink light creep out from the openings between his fingers, but he thought nothing more of it. He placed the item inside his kimono and stared out into the woods that held the woman he wanted to see after so long, the woman he wanted to talk to, the woman he wanted to find. He found her; he saw her; he didn't say a thing.

_"Kagome…" _how he wished he called out to her, how he wished he ran after her. But he was not the hopeless romantic. He was not hopeless; he was full of hope. He knew she would find him again. He knew she would need his help again and want to be rescued by his power. He knew, somehow, he wanted her to do all those things. But he knew most were unrealistic, and she would ask the half-demon he hated to save her, instead of calling his name. _"Just…let me go."_

He couldn't. He had her on his mind for days, weeks, months…he couldn't let her go. He already let go of one woman in his life—he was not ready and unwilling to give up another, especially one he wanted near him every second of the day. He needed to please his beast somehow; he just didn't know what else to do. His beast whined; he couldn't handle another woman leaving his life. _"You don't need me anymore." _

He growled. She knew nothing of his needs; she knew nothing of what he needed and wanted in life. How he wished he was not a Lord; how he wished he was one of her group members, to protect her. How he wished…he would not think of wishes. Sesshomaru knew it was the jewel controlling his wants and needs at that point, and he stared up at the sky. On the outside, he looked calm; he looked as though he was in control. On the inside, his beast was out of control; she was in control.

_"Sesshomaru." _

_"Sesshomaru?"_

_"Sesshomaru!" _

_"Are you transforming?"_

_"Maybe Rin and I are growing on you."_

He viciously grabbed his Tenseiga that had been in the ground and stabbed the nearest tree. It split in two. Her voice disappeared and the images that continued to overwhelm his beast (and him, truth be told) continued to flash before his eyes. He could see the dead wench injuring her as she lied in a crater; he saw her blood flowing out of her body as he tried to tend to her wounds; he saw her in his arms, protected by the evils around; he saw her, by his side.

"Enough!" He snarled. Sesshomaru felt his nails turn green and send a poisonous whip toward the numerous rocks near the waterfall; one of them cracked. He pulled away from the tree and felt the light sword by his side once more. The sheath was resting on the ground by his feet, and he just stared down at the ground. She stood there moments before (had it been moments?) before she ran away. And everything started to flash in front of him again, how she was infiltrating his life and mind so easily.

Sesshomaru emitted a low, protective growl from his stomach. It was a new noise, something he never experienced before. He closed his eyes; he knew they were red. What was she doing to him? To his beast? What was going on? He relaxed his hands and felt his nails shying away from their deadly poisons; he opened his eyes. Nothing looked through the color of blood, so he nonchalantly picked his sheath up. It still had her scent; it would be the death of him. Tying it against his hip, he sheathed the sword and took one more glance into the trees.

She disappeared; he didn't know whether to chase after her or let her go. He turned his back and started to walk. He was not letting go; he would go after her eventually. He didn't know when, but he had to get out of the forest again. It would do no good to him. _This forest is bad luck to all, _he thought. He heard the rushing water beside him splash all around and he continued back to where he came. He needed to tend to his wards, those that needed his protection.

But as he hit the edge of the waterfall, as he was going to venture back to his camp, his nose twitched. He knew that scent; it was the dead wench. He turned toward a different part of the forest and searched for her. There was nothing. He scanned for anything that gave her away; there was still nothing. Why was the dead wench near? Had the others been on the hunt for the shard? And for that matter, where was his half-brother? He never left her side; why was this different?

Something was not right. He turned back where Kagome ran. His nose twitched again; he knew the other scent. It was Kagura's; she was nearby as well. Had she been watching from the trees? Had she watched the exchange between him and Kagome? He scanned the trees; she was not that near. She was far away, almost where Kagome was (but not quite). What was she doing near her?

Sesshomaru looked to the sky; there were little streams of light floating in the air. They were the soul stealers that dead wench possessed. They were flying toward Kagome. He eyed a few of them, and they swirled around a certain part of the forest. So the dead wench was near. "If you are looking for me," Sesshomaru shifted his head and looked ahead. The dead wench was before him. Then what were the soul stealers above? "I am right here."

Sesshomaru said nothing. He paid close attention to Kagome's scent and Kagura's scent; they were not near each other. What was going on? And why was the dead one confronting him? "You have the jewel," she said to him. Was it only for the jewel? Or was there something else? Sesshomaru did not move.

"On what grounds do you confront me, wench?" Kikyo smirked.

"I stand no ground. You are interested in why I am here, are you not?" Sesshomaru growled. Kikyo continued. "There should be other things you should focus on, not someone like me, Sesshomaru."

"And why should this one listen to your hollow words?" Kikyo walked past him and went into the direction of Kagome. His nose twitched; what was this scent?

"Because if you value that girl's life," she turned her head and had a smile on her face, "you should worry about her." Sesshomaru would have no words like that around him. He was next to her in a split second with his hand wrapped around her neck; Kikyo did not struggle, but continued to smile. "Do you wonder why I am near you all of the sudden? Why my scent had just appeared?" Sesshomaru did not look away from her; he just listened. "Look around."

Sesshomaru saw her not threatening his life, so he looked. There was nothing; he saw the woods, the trees, the waterfall, the sky…what was he supposed to see? Then, a demon was flying toward their spot; he could not smell them. Why? He watched this demon. It dove toward the spot, howling and wanting something (perhaps the shard). Sesshomaru saw it be deflected away. A barrier?

He looked back at her. "What is this?" Kikyo did nothing.

"You know, Sesshomaru, and only you and Kagome have been in this area, all alone. You should have noticed the other scents by now." He growled.

"You and Kagura have surfaced as unwelcomed guests in these trees." Before he pierced her skin with his nails, she chuckled. He watched her, and saw her continue to smile. There was more, he knew.

"I am surprised, Sesshomaru. I thought you were powerful to smell all scents." He growled; he would not have a wench demoralize him and—

His nose twitched. Another scent came. It was human blood—_her _blood. Sesshomaru glared at her before throwing her to the ground. He stared straight into her dull eyes. "What have you planned, wench?" She placed her hands around his wrist; it started to burn. He instantly let go and leapt away from her. She rose from her spot; he watched numerous soul stealers take her and carry her into the sky.

"I have planned death, Sesshomaru," she called out to him, "And I intend to watch." Sesshomaru growled; he wished to go after her, but continued to smell Kagome's blood in the air. But there was another scent mixed with it—it smelt familiar. _"You deserve to die!" _His beast flared. He knew this scent far too well; it had been masked the entire time. She was in danger. She needed to be saved. He looked up to the sky once more, seeing the dead wench disappeared. Then he looked to the trees, where Kagome had run into; there was something hidden all along. He needed to save her.

He ran after her. 'Mine.'

0o0

Kagome rested against a tree, but knew she had to get out of there. _Too bad I'm lost already, _she thought to herself. She sighed. At first, she was relieved that the jewel was finally away from her, that she was no more the protector of the jewel. Then she panicked; what if Sesshomaru _would_ wish on the jewel and bring destruction? It was a terrible thought.

She looked back from where she came. She didn't want to believe that Sesshomaru only had her around because she could detect jewel shards. Was it the truth? Had she made the entire thing up? Or was she right, and had to get away from him before she went down the wrong path? She sighed once more; her life sucked. _It was never this way with Inuyasha, I don't think._

_"Kagome…" _She heard the trees rustle; perhaps it was just the wind, but she turned to the noise. She was hearing his voice again, something she wished would go away. The leaves crunched against the floor; she eyed the woods intently. _"I did no such thing." _

"Who's there?" She brought her bow around and held it out in front of her body. She was not willing to blindly shoot into the woods without seeing her enemy, but she stared at the trees. Then, a shadow appeared. Her hands gripped her bow more, but once the light showed the person, she eased a bit, but kept her guard up. "Sesshomaru?"

She couldn't believe he chased her through the forest. He would've stopped her before, right? But there he was, standing before her. "What are you doing here?" He stopped at a group of trees as she leaned against hers.

"I have come to say you are wrong about my intentions, girl," Kagome listened to his voice. It was almost angry with her for running away, as though she had upset him in some way.

"You used me, Sesshomaru," she began, "I don't see how I have wrong intentions about you when you know for a fact you used me to get the jewel!" She heard him growl. It was threatening, yes, but it sounded different than the other ones she had heard. Was he transforming?

"You know nothing about what I have done. I have not used you to gain anything," he said to her. Kagome saw him stepping toward her, moving ever so slightly toward her. She eyed him; what was going on?

She kept her bow in front of her. "Then why did you have me by your side?" He stopped right in front of her. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something was wrong. He looked and acted different. He wasn't like that at the waterfall. She saw his eyes—they were gentle and understanding. She heard his voice—it called out to her, as though it desired her. Sesshomaru just stood there in front of her, staring at her with his golden eyes.

"To protect the one I have grown fond of," he replied. Kagome widened her eyes.

"Grown fond of?" Sesshomaru just stared.

But she noticed his arm slowly rising. What was Sesshomaru talking about? What was he doing? Kagome closed her eyes and felt around her. She breathed in; her grip on the bow relaxed just a little bit. She could feel Sesshomaru's presence next to her, the trees cautiously blowing with the slight breeze, and the jewel—the jewel. Her eyes shot open and she looked straight into his eyes.

"You're…" before she could finish, the body in front of her collided with her, sending her flying toward a large tree. Her back hit the bark; her body was sliding against the rigid surface. She could feel her blood dripping down her back, new wounds forming. Her throat was held by a hand, one that felt nothing like the one that had held it before. She opened her eyes and still saw Sesshomaru standing there. "You're not him…" she breathed out.

The hand wrapped tighter around her neck. She could hardly breathe. She brought her hands up to his wrist (she dropped her bow at some time while in the air) and started to burn the skin; he didn't let her go. She could feel the person pushing her against the tree more, pushing down against her throat. They still looked like Sesshomaru, but it wasn't him. This person didn't have the jewel with them.

The person smiled; now she knew it wasn't Sesshomaru. "We meet again," the voice changed; her eyes widened. _It can't be…_ "Kagome." She started to struggle against the person's grasp, trying to get out. But it was no use; she was pinned against the tree by the one she killed before. She glared down at the person, staring deep into the golden eyes that weren't Sesshomaru's. She let out a painful whisper:

"Naraku."

**WOAH WHAT THE I UPDATED AGAIN LOLOLOL**

**I told you I'd update before the end of May. And GUESS WHAT? IT'S NOT THE END OF MAY! HOLLA! I'm surprised I got this out. But! The chapter did come to me WAY easier than the last chapter. I'm proud of myself.**

**SO GUYS, NARAKU'S BACK. WHO CALLED IT? I didn't! Well, I did, BUT I DIDN'T AT THE SAME TIME! Um, yeah. For about 3-4 chapters, it's gonna be slow again. Lots of talking, drama, fighting...the whole deal. FUN STUFF. Want a hint on what'll happen? I have a hunch, but...I'm pretty sure one person will fight Naraku and Kagura, while the other fights Kikyo. GEE I WONDER WHO.**

**I'm a dork. BTW: Sorry that this is all...Sesshomaru. I didn't plan for that, but it's SO much fun playing with his feelings and all that jazz. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, FTWWWWWWWW  
**

**ANYWAY. I should probably respond to those LONG OVERDUE reviews from before. LET'S DO THIS!**

**From Chapter 21**

_soulspirit18: _**Thanks! I worked so hard on that dream, good lord. I remember me trying to get something out, but it sucked so bad LOL At least you enjoyed it. Thanks for the review!  
**_Pcebabe: _**Thanks! I'm glad it's awesome!**_  
01992: _**Thank you! I love describing Sesshomaru's feelings with flowers. For some reason, it works. And it gives him some character/pizazz. Or something.**_  
__sydney: _**LOL Thank you! You're so enthusiastic! And thank you for the humble comment that I should have more than 300 reviews (but I don't think that'll happen. I can only dream!). It made me laugh 8D**

**From Chapter 22**

_soulspirit18: _**Thank you! 8D  
**_Kurina333: _**LOL I'm sorry. I don't mean for cliffhangers! But thank you! Glad you like my story!  
**_InuBroken: _**Thank you! I do my best to please and write like a professional (God knows I need to work on that sometimes). **

**From Chapter 23**

_InuBroken: _**Oh my LOL I'm SO SORRY that my next chapter took _so long_ to get out. I hope you're still reading the story, HAHA. Ohhhh man, a fail on my part. Anyway, thank you for reading!  
**_Tamashi no Kuroneko: _**I don't think I updated fast enough with Chapter 24 LOL Oooooops. But thanks for reading/reviewing!  
**_Heart-broken to the core: _**Oh wow, 2 days! I hope you got some sleep during the story! I'd hate for you to get insomnia reading this story, LOL. But thank you for the kind review!**

**From Chapter 24**

**NONE WTF LOL (I'm not surprised)**

**Weeeeeell. I hope some of my reviewers come back! PLEASE review! I'd appreciate it, and you can tell me how inconsistent I am or something! WOO!**

**Thank you for reading again!**

**Until next time!**

**TLS  
**


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